Rumour Has It: Renesmee and Jacob Love Story
by Wolf Girl 131313
Summary: A friendship becomes more, a half-breed goes bad, and a family is torn apart. A love story/drama involving Renesmee Cullen and Jacob Black. Rated M for language and possible sexual encounters, just to be safe! Enjoy!
1. Chapter One: Blackout

**Hey guys! So Breaking Dawn came out like... Last week? Well as I'm writing this it was last Friday.. And I got to go see it on opening day and may I say, WOW. It was very well done! I've tried doing a Twilight Fanfic before but I got bored with it pretty quickly. But I think that this will be fun to write so I'll stick with it! If you like my style of writing and you are into reading more that I've written, check out my Profile here on FanFiction and read Somewhere Only We Know! Anyway! This will be rated M for language and possible sexual content later on... Leave reviews! 3**

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><p><em><span>Chapter One: Blackout (Breathe Carolina)<span>_

The thick woods sat in silence, not even the creatures of the forest moved as they sensed the presence of the predator. Muscular calves connected to light feet sheathed in black, suede boots carried a thin body through the damp, Oregon surroundings.

The predator picked up it's pace, pushing itself to the limit. There was only one thing on it's mind.

Blood.

It's very existence depended on it's sustenance. Nothing could stop it from getting the sticky, red liquid without killing it where it stood.

A heartbeat. One single exhale of air was all it took to redirect the predator's path to a whole new portion of the woods without missing a step.

Suddenly a second heartbeat was present but it wasn't from an animal of prey. Running along side the predator was a rust-colored wolf, pushing to keep up with it's "partner's" pace.

The predator turned it's head to the side, staring straight into the dog's large brown eyes. A wild grin spread across the pale girl's face as she realized her running partner was a familiar presence.

She pushed herself to go even faster as the wolf pulled up ahead of her, cutting off her path as it zigzagged to slow her down. The wolf's tongue lolled out of the side of its giant mouth as if it was teasing the girl with it's wicked grin.

Without a second thought, the girl pushed off of the ground and tackled the wolf with the force of four fully grown men. The pair flew through the air and eventually returned to the earth, skidding through twigs and leaves scattered across the forest floor.

The girl landed under the large, harry wolf with her legs and arms pinned to the ground my its paws. It's head lowered, teeth grazing her delicate jaw in an attempt to provoke fear from her.

"God damn it, Jacob! You are such a cheater!" She lifted her legs up under the wolf's stomach and kicked with all her might, sending it crashing into a large Oak tree on the other side of the small pathway they had landed in.

She scrambled to her feet, keeping her back turned to the rustling sounds coming from behind the tree she had kicked the large dog into. "That wasn't fair. You know I've been needing to hunt and now-" She paused to listen for the original heartbeat that had determined her course change, but it was now nowhere to be found. "It's gone. Thanks a lot."

"You're welcome." A low, smooth voice sounded in her ear as the tall, tan boy known as Jacob strolled by her to lounge on a fallen tree, wearing only denim cut-off shorts and white sneakers. "It's not my fault you can't keep up, Renesmee."

A black boot flew two inches in front of his face, causing his face to unfold into a pleased grin. She knew he was just using her full name for the sake of being a jackass, because she had always been known as Nessie by him.

Now being fifteen, Nessie was catching up to Jake seeing as he hadn't aged in the past seven years it had taken her to grow up. The young girl was in an odd position of mortality seeing as her mother had been human when she was born, but her father had been a vampire for over a century before they had met.

This created the half-breed, Renesmee Carlie Cullen. Even though she had only technically been alive for seven years, she had the mindset of a twenty year old and looked as though she was in her mid-teens. This had created more difficulties than her parents, Edward and Bella Cullen, had originally predicted.

As the people in their home town of Forks, Washington had started to become suspicious of her strange growth rate, her parents had become uneasy. It had been at the beginning of this particular summer that they had moved to a small town in central Oregon.

Jacob Black, the werewolf that was now lounging on the moss covered tree, had joined the entire Cullen clan in their move. He never had really explained to Nessie why he couldn't bare to be that far away from her, only saying that it had something to do with the Imprint that had connected them from her birth.

He had been the same age physically when she was born as he was during this summer, due to the phasing into his wolf-form stunting his growth. It aggravated Nessie to no end that no one would explain what the Imprint meant, but she hadn't been back to the Quileute Indian Reservation of LaPush since the previous spring and she just hadn't been that interested in the Imprint at the time.

The sun was setting behind the trees and the forest would have already be hard to navigate for any human, luckily this wasn't the case for Nessie and Jake but it was still time for them to go home.

Neither of them talked much as they backtracked through the woods to the Cullen home. Nessie had long forgotten about her "supper" and now skipped along beside Jacob in order to keep up with his long strides with ease, her small feet kicked up little groups of green leaves that had been shaken from the trees above.

"So you start your first day of high school tomorrow?" It wasn't really a question, more of a solemn comment that Jake tried to make sound positive.

She groaned loudly, running a hand through her thick, straightened hair as she leaned against the tall boy walking beside her. "Please don't remind me. I can't believe I'm the only one going this year."

The Cullens and Jacob had all decided that Renesmee should have at least one normal high school experience by herself. This left her to go to a new school without any friends, by herself. Needless to say, she was less than thrilled.

Jake wrapped his arms around her thin shoulders, kissing the crown of her head. "It'll be fine, Ness. All you have to do is say the word and I'll be there."

Letting her face bury into Jake's chest as they walked, Nessie squeezed her eyes shut. She would never willingly admit that she was afraid, not even in these moments where she felt as though nothing could hurt her. It wasn't like she needed to remind the tall boy how much of a brother he was to her, yet it didn't feel right for him to be this way anymore.

"There's the house lights. I'll race you." Shoving him behind her, the bronze haired beauty took of towards the porch knowing that he was close behind her all the way.

Her boots hit the wooden planks of the deck milliseconds before Jacob's sneakers, but it was enough for her to declare success. She flashed a row of blinding white teeth at the grinning, tan boy as she backed towards the sliding, glass door.

"I win. See you tomorrow, Jake." The moment the door closed behind her, she ran to the curtained window overlooking the backyard so she could watch him climb onto the motorcycle he had rebuilt when he had actually been sixteen.

A throat cleared behind Nessie that caused the hair on her arms to stand on edge. It wasn't the deep aggravated voice of her father that she had been expecting, it was worse.

She turned to look at a small, pixie-like woman standing in the doorway of the dining room that Nessie had entered, her tiny hands planted firmly on her narrow hips. "Welcome home, Renesmee"

Rolling her eyes, the young girl flashed an award winning smile at her aunt as she pushed past her into the living room where the rest of her family were congregated.

Sitting in the two large armchairs in the corner of the room were Carlisle and Esme, the "grandparents" of the family even though they appeared to only be in their mid-thirties. Standing directly in front of the TV were Edward's two "adopted" brothers, Jasper and Emmett, intensely watching whatever sport happened to be featured on ESPN that evening.

Emmett's mate and Renesmee's other aunt, Rosalie, was perched on the arm of the black leather couch with a deep-set scowl on her face. The two thin, pale bodies that were cuddled together on the couch looked up at Renesmee and Alice's entrance.

"Where's Jacob?" Bella had a look of concern on her face that caused a frown to appear on Edward's face.

Flopping onto the neon blue beanbag chair she had managed to sneak into the carefully decorated living room earlier on in the day, Nessie shrugged. "He said something about going to see Billy tonight. He'll be back tomorrow."

Although the Cullens had made every effort to offer Jacob a room in their home, he wouldn't hear of it so they had settled with building him a small home on their property that he rarely used.

He bounced between sleeping on the couch in their living room and staying with his father in LaPush which he could reach rather quickly in wolf-form. This particular night he had obviously chosen the latter.  
>"Alright, I gave you a whole day of freedom but now it's time." Alice huffed, clamping down on Nessie's arm and pulled her towards the stairs.<p>

Edward and Bella laughed at their daughter's look of horror as she was pulled to her room in order to plan her first day of school outfit. She loved Alice, she really did, but she could care less as to what she wore anywhere. Secretly a part of her wanted to be shunned and left alone at her new school, friends equals too many questions that she just wasn't ready to answer.

Shoved onto the bed, Nessie simply waited for the moment when she would be a mindless Barbie doll for Alice to play with. Rosalie appeared in the doorway, immediately going to the oversized walk-in closet they had installed for their own pleasure rather than the young girl's.

"How about this, dear?" Alice held up a sequined, golden dress that was long enough to have a fairly substantial train. The look on her nieces face caused her to quickly return to the closet.

Rosalie had chosen an outfit to completely counter Alice's. Nessie recognized a pair of dark, denim shorts that would leave almost nothing to the imagination and a white t-shirt that had the same quality.

The bronze-haired child wasn't the only one that recognized the articles of clothing, for Edward was shaking his head vigorously as she watched his sister's stampede his teenage daughter.

"I think not."

Renesmee lifted her pale hand to her father's chiseled cheekbone, pushing images of laughing teenagers and unwanted attention into his mind with a force that would knock down a normal person. A human.

The two women reappeared in the bedroom, unhappy as ever. "It's our right as aunts to do this, Edward." Alice huffed, waving around a shoe from two pairs of stiletto heels.

"Let's compromise." Nessie said firmly, looking her aunt directly in the eye and letting the look burn into the pixie's brain.

And to everyone's surprise, they did. On her vanity table as she climbed in the shower lay a white dress with black lace covering the entirety that reached just above her knees and a brand new pair of black suede, ankle boots.

She wasn't thrilled with the outfit, for she was sure it was going to get her more attention than she had initially wanted, but she would settle in order to make everyone happy.

Climbing out of the scalding hot water, Nessie slipped on a pair of sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt she had stolen from Jacob when she was younger. She climbed into her warm bed as she pulled her long, damp hair up into a sloppy ponytail.

She stared at the doors that led out onto her balcony, waiting for the one thing that would put her to sleep. As if he had read her mind, one lone howl cut through the silence of the night, telling her that it was time for her to sleep. And she did.

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><p>Sweet melodic notes woke Nessie from her dreamless sleep. She knew it was her father that sat at the Grand Piano, his fingers dancing across the keys in no particular order.<p>

Creeping down the stairs, she sat down on the third step and watched her parents sit on the piano bench together with their backs to her. Normally they would have sensed her presence, but they were staring deeply into each other's eyes and seemed to be lost to everything in the world.

A bitter pang of jealousy washed through the young half-breed. Why couldn't she have the same thing? An unconditional love that would be worth living forever for. It seemed too far away for her to grasp the idea, little did she know it was closer than she had hoped.

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><p>"You'll make tons of friends, Renesmee. Just remember to not transfer your thoughts to anyone." Edward seemed concerned that his daughter didn't have the self-control to do this alone so soon.<p>

He had wanted to attend high school with her of course, in order to protect her from everything the world had to throw at her. It had been Bella that had talked him out of the idea, wanting Renesmee to be able to make her own decisions and mistakes at least once.

"I know, Dad. It'll be fine." She leaned against the black Escalade they had recently purchased in order to look more like a normal family, which seemed to have been pointless with the particular car choice. Her voice sounded sure of herself, but if she wasn't being watched so closely by her father she would have been shaking.

Edward knew that she was lying to him, but he couldn't bring himself to crush her hopes of being strong. Kissing her head, he pushed her towards the doors of the school. "Have a good day, Renesmee."

Staring up at the looming high school, she swallowed down the lump in her throat. She had insisted on being driven by only one person and had begged to be allowed to enter alone.

Now regretting this, she shifted her backpack from one shoulder to both. With a final deep breath, she pushed into the school already ten minutes late.

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><p>An aide in the front office that had told her his name was Joey, led her through the sterile, white hallways to her first hour classroom. He didn't talk to her the whole trip there, but occasionally she would catch him staring at her in wonder.<p>

The large classroom was alive with the laughter of teenagers, falling silent as the door opened to reveal the new student with the perfect face, hair, and clothes. A tan, dirty blonde boy that had been leading the main conversation in the room let a lazy grin spread over his face. This was greeted by a look from Nessie that screamed he was the strangest thing she'd ever seen.

"I've been informed that we have a new student in our home room. This is Renesmee Cullen from Massachusetts." A small smile spread across her face as she recognized the lie she had been told to confirm. "Do you have anything to say to the class before you join their depths?"

Her smile disappeared instantly. She hadn't expected having to talk to anyone this quickly, much less an entire class of waiting teenagers. The entire ride here she had imagined all the smart things she would say to anyone trying to break her silence, but they all seemed to have disappeared now.

Opening her lip gloss covered lips, she caught eyes with the charismatic boy. "No, I do not."

A group of girls that looked like they had been pulled out of one of the many reality shows that played on MTV, snickered at her response. "What's with the way she talks? Maybe she lived in the Harvard library instead of a house."

Nessie blushed deeply, going for an empty desk in the back of the room without even being asked. She was only vaguely aware of the middle aged man that had to of been the teacher scolding the prettiest, blonde girl in the group for her comment.

This was going to be the longest day ever.

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><p>She was right. The morning dragged on slower than should be possible and she had to hold herself back from jumping for joy when the lunch break was announced.<p>

The lunchroom was huge and densely populated. All types of teenagers were bustling around in their quest to get food. She made a game out of picking out the cliches she had only experienced in movies and TV shows.

"Hey, Cullen! Wait up!"

Renesmee looked for a way out of the lunch room so she could do the complete opposite of the voice's demand, but she couldn't find one. She froze like she had seen so many of her prey doing as they realized what was chasing them.

It was the blonde boy from the classroom that was standing in front of her now, that same smirk on his face. "You are a very hard person to find, you know that?"

"One could say that would be my initial goal." She cursed at herself for her formal response. She didn't talk like a scholar when she was at home, with Jake, but it seemed to flow out of her now. "I mean, I try to make it that way."

He nodded thoughtfully before sticking out a large hand, "I'm Malachi. People here call me Ky, but you can call me whatever you want."

"How about weird guy that won't stop looking at me?" Renesmee said confidently as she grabbed a tray of food. Finally her witty comebacks were present, making her feel a lot more comfortable that she had been all day.

Ky's grin spread even farther, "Now we're talking. I knew you weren't as shy as you let on. What should I call you then? That girl that can't formulate sentences under pressure?" She noticed that he had stepped closer to her, invading the bubble she would like to keep him out of.

Suddenly a motorcycle revved outside, causing everyone on this side of the cafeteria to turn and stare. Jacob sat, surprisingly fully clothed, on the giant motorcycle he had left on the evening before.

Because the entire western wall of the cafeteria was glass, he caught sight of Renesmee and the muscular boy that was a lot closer to her than he would have liked. Forcing a smile, he waved to Nessie.

"Who the hell-"

"Ah Jake! That's my cue to go." Nessie sprinted towards the door out of the cafeteria. "Oh and you can call me Nessie, like the sea monster."

She didn't look back as she jumped on the bike behind Jacob, wrapping her thin arms around his waist. "Step on it."

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><p><strong>Did you like it? I didn't even get the rest of what I wanted in this chapter in it sooo... I'm excited! Leave reviews! <strong>


	2. Chapter Two: Uptown Girl

**Hey everyone! I don't have much to say so... Jump in? Leave reviews please! They make me smile!**

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><p><em><span>Chapter Two: Uptown Girl (Cover by Glee Cast)<span>_

"So who was that kid you were talking to?" Jacob shouted over the roar of the motorcycle, now sitting behind Nessie with his arms wrapped around her waist.

They had traded places when her whining had bothered him enough that he wanted to yell. He had taught her to ride his bike when she was physically around seven, it had quickly developed into her favorite thing to do. It made him smile to remember Bella's face when they had pulled into the driveway with the tiny girl barely able to see over the handlebars.

Nessie gunned it as she reached the edge of town even though she was already speeding. "Who? Malachi? Just a guy that's trying to welcome me into the school. Not that I really want to be anywhere near that damn place."

Her face took on an embarrassed frown. The thoughts of her horrible morning tried invading her brain but she quickly pushed them aside and pushed the bike even faster.

"Whoa easy there," Jake reached out to grab the handlebar over Nessie's pale hand. A sudden shock ran up her forearm, causing her to look back at him. To her surprise, he was looking at her with the same curious expression that she wore.

She couldn't place what she was feeling but it made her cheeks turn a light pink when Jake didn't even bother looking away.

Neither of the teenagers saw the piece of lumber that had fallen off of the back of a truck and was now laying in the center of the winding road up ahead. The front tire hit the log at an angle, going way too fast especially on the slick, recently rained on road. Nessie was thrown from the bike, her muscular body flying through the air.

To a human the sudden accident would severely harm, possibly kill, but Jacob was fast moving.

He had been thrown from the bike too, but had landed unsteadily on his feet. The sharp pains shooting up his left leg didn't stop him from reaching the thin girl before she hit the ground. Well mostly.

Knees scraping across the pavement as she was scooped up into warm arms, Nessie hissed in pain. The grabbed the hair on the back of Jake's head, squeezing her eyes shut to push away the stinging sensations.

As quickly as it had happened, the accident was over. Placing her on her feet, Jacob turned to assess the damage of the bike. He found it just out of eyesight, laying just feet from a tree that would have destroyed it easily. Sighing in relief, he returned to Nessie.

"Are you okay? Jesus you're knees." He winced at the thick streams of blood creeping down her pale calves. Other than the scrapes on her knees and her windswept curls, she looked just as perfect as ever.

Laughing quietly, Nessie winked at Jake. "That was the most fun I've had all day."

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><p>With perfect timing, Nessie walked into her fifth hour Spanish class just as the bell rang and to her horror the girl that had insulted her on the way she spoke was standing in her group of barbies. She pushed back a groan, scanning the room for any other face that seemed familiar.<p>

"Hey, Cullen! Sit with us!" Malachi's smooth voice called from across the room, a relaxed grin spreading across his face.

She looked at the group he was sitting with, biting her lip as if she wasn't sure if it was safe to join them. But the other alternative was sitting on the side of the room that the mob of blondes were occupying so she took the seat behind Malachi.

This only made his smile grow until he saw her knees. "Damn, what happened?" Leaning forward to get a better look, Malachi frowned at her.

Without another word he was gone from the room, quickly returning with damp paper towels. Going down on one knee in front of Nessie, he pressed them to her blood covered skin. She watched him do it, not sure how she felt about this newly founded "friendship", if that's what you could call it.

Never having been around anyone except her family, Jacob and his pack of goofy werewolf friends, she wasn't sure how to act. And whatever Malachi was trying to do was just throwing her off even more.

A sudden unwelcome presence raised the hairs on Nessie's neck, her eyes flicking up to meet the blonde from before.

"What did you do to your knees, honey? Did it take too long for him to finish?" The girl was gorgeous, it was hard to deny it, and Nessie could almost see her aunt Rosalie written all over this girl.

It had an angelic quality to it, but not the good kind. The malicious smirk transformed her face into that of a divine figure coming down to wreak havoc and kill all in her path. Both seemed to be true.

Remembering who she was, Nessie smirked back at the girl. "It seems like you would know more about knee damage than I would."

Even she had to admit that the insult was a little harsh, she didn't know if this girl was as slutty as she looked. But from the hoots and hollers coming from the group that now surrounded them, she was sure she had struck the truth right on the head.

This insult didn't seem to faze the archangel, her eyes just gained even more sparkle as if this was a game that she was enjoying excessively. "Ah, so she does live in the real world. I applaud your understanding of my joke. I thought it would go right past your scholarly little brain. I'm Courtland."

A perfectly manicured hand extended to Nessie. To say that she was shocked would have been an understatement. Not that that was something she was going to show to anyone. Letting her cool hand meet Courtland's, their eyes meeting in a silent battle of wills.

"I see that you'll be fun to take down. Not impossible though, you'll be broken by the end of the week. I can't wait to see you run back to your mommy and daddy." If only she knew what said parents could do to her, "Oh and by the way, I wouldn't concern myself with Ky if I were you. He gets boring after a while."

Temper flaring up inside her, Nessie gripped Courtland's hand tighter and stepped closer to her face. "God you like to hear yourself talk, don't you? Run along before you're sorry you even spoke to me."

Suddenly the teacher appeared beside the girls, "Is there a problem here, girls?"

"Of course not, Mr. Liam. We're all just getting acquainted." Courtland smiled sweetly at the teacher before pulling Nessie into a tense hug, whispering into her ear, "I will end you. You'll wish you never crossed me."

This was the last thing that Nessie needed on her first day in the town that was supposed to be a "fresh start" for her family, but yet she couldn't help herself. Hissing through a gritted teeth, Nessie leaned into the other girl's ear even more.

"I'd like to see you try."

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><p>The last bell released the entire student body into the large hallways, filling to the brink. Nessie pushed to the locker she had finally been assigned during her sixth hour and dropped her books into the tiny, metal box.<p>

It took longer than it should have for her to get out the doors of the school and as she finally broke free of the doors she saw what was holding everyone up.

Rosalie and Bella were leaning against the shiny, four door Lamborghini sitting in the middle of the parking lot. A picture of perfection, the two women were dressed in clothing by designers no one in this tiny town had ever heard of. Dark Gucci shades covered the strange golden color of their large eyes.

Whispers about the angelic figures circulated through the large group of teenagers. Even Courtland, who stood on other side of the parking lot looked impressed, even a little intimidated.

Nessie stood frozen, her face quickly portraying the horror she felt. How could she possibly get into that car without drawing any more attention to herself than already had? Looking towards the busy street running beside the school, she briefly contemplated walking straight into traffic.

But even she knew that was too drastic of a choice, so she reluctantly descended the stairs to the parking lot.

"How was your day, dear?" Bella asked her daughter calmly, resisting the urge to hug her. It wasn't like anyone knew she was her mother, for that was inconceivable to the human mind, but it still worried her that she was humiliating the young girl. If only she knew.

Quickly snatching the designer sunglasses her aunt was holding out to her, Nessie shook her head quickly. "Let's just go. We can talk later."

Just as she was climbing in the backseat, all hopes of a quick escape were shattered. Malachi ran up to grab the car door before she could open it.

"Were you just going to leave without saying goodbye?" His smile faltered as he saw the two women with Nessie, but only for a moment. "I didn't know you had sisters."

She opened her mouth to correct him but Rosalie stepped in front of her before she could. "Very aggressive sisters that will end you if you get too close. I would watch it if I were you."

Nessie couldn't believe this was happening, especially with such a large crowd watching them. Before thinking, she pushed her pale hand against Rosalie's cold cheek.

Pushing images of home and embarrassment into the blonde's head, she pleaded silently. Turning to look at her niece first, Rosalie got in the car silently.

"I'm so sorry. I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow." Nessie pulled open the car door quickly, almost ripping it off it's hinges. As the door closed she almost hissed at her mother, "Get me out of here."

They spun out of the parking lot faster than was really necessary but it only seemed to impress the students more. An embarrassed and confused Malachi stood right where he had been when Nessie had shut the door until they turned the corner, watching the young girl look at him from the rear window the whole way.

Turning back to face the front of the car, Nessie let her head fall against the back of her seat. She closed her eyes and didn't open them until the car was stopped, despite her mother's pleas to explain what was wrong.

The truth was, she had no idea what was wrong. It had been one of the worst days of her life, but she couldn't put her finger on why she thought so. Sure, Courtland's insults and the unwanted attention was enough to make a day hell, but something about Malachi unnerved her to the point that she was scared to be around him.

Edward was at the car door before the vehicle was even in park, a pissed off but yet still concerned look on his face. "What the hell happened?" He grabbed the sides of Nessie's face, forcing her to look him in his charcoal black eyes.

He must have been hunting when they had gotten within range of his mind reading skills, coming back immediately. His grip was so tight on the young girl's face it was painful.

"You're hurting me." This is all she had to say for him to let go and she made a break for the front door. Everyone was so shocked by her sudden action, no one bothered to stop her and she was soon sitting against her bedroom door.

Thoughts of going back to school the next day caused her breathing to quicken. Trying to get a hold of herself, she threw her head back against the door. She didn't know why she was acting like it was the end of the world, but it was impossible to make herself stop.

Standing on shaky legs, Nessie crossed to the closet to change from the dress she had been forced to wear. Finally in the comforts of her favorite sweatpants and t-shirt, she stood in front of the mirror in her personal bathroom.

Something was different in her face. It wasn't just the change of dramatic makeup, but there was some part of her expression that worried her. It had never crossed her mind that maybe she wasn't old enough to do this, after all she was only seven years old.

Striking out to turn on the sink, she splashed as much cold water on her face and neck as she could before the knocking that she had been dreading sounded at her door. She could sense the presence of her father. For a moment she wanted to let him in and cry on her shoulder like a child, but she wasn't a child.

Running her fingers through her bangs, she pulled the door open. Edward seemed surprised that it had been that easy to get her to let him in, but he could feel her guard instantly rise. "Yes?"

"Would you like to explain to me what happened that has you so upset?" He watched her face transform into that of a rebellious teenager that resented every word that would come out of his mouth. "Or perhaps I should rephrase, tell me what happened."

He had promised long ago that he would do his best to stay out of his daughter's head, but he pushed to listen to her thoughts. To his surprise there were none, just empty space that he couldn't penetrate.

Setting her jaw, Nessie looked up into her fathers eyes in defiance. If he thought he could force anything out of her, he was sadly misunderstood. He must have realized this too, for anger flared up inside of him that never had been directed at the young girl before.

"One day and you've already become someone completely different. I thought you could do this but apparently I was wrong. Your mother and I will be enrolling tomorrow, I simply just don't trust your judgment, you're childish." With that he turned on his heel and left the room.

Even though this was what she had wanted, it felt as though she had been slapped across the face. Fine, if he wanted to call her childish, she would make him a truthful man.

For the first time in her short life, she slammed her door so hard it shook the entire house. If this is what it felt like to be a normal teenager, she didn't want it.

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><p>"What do you mean she won't talk to anyone?"<p>

Jacob stood in the Cullen's living room, arguing with Edward like he had so many times before. Above him he could hear a window open and graceful feet hit the roof that Nessie's bedroom led to. He couldn't understand what had happened in the six short hours since he had last seen the young girl. According to Bella and Edward, Nessie hadn't spoken to anyone since she had gotten home and despite Jasper's efforts of calming her down with his powers, she still refused.

He had a growing suspicion that her issues were tied to the guy she had called Malachi and it took all he had not to go find the kid right then. Shoving his fists into the pockets of his cutoffs, Jake cursed under his breath.

"Well you're more than welcome to try Jake. She always seems to open up to you more than us anyway." Bella spoke quietly, slipping her hand into Edward's in an attempt to soften the blow of her words. He had always viewed himself as close to his daughter but even he had to admit that he was nothing compared to Jacob.

A wry smile spread over the werewolf's face, "It's kind of in my job description. Friend, brother, protector-" He cut off the last part because it always made him uncomfortable to say 'lover' in front of the subject of his desire's father.

It still felt wrong to think of Nessie as anything more than the young girl he had promised to love and protect since she was born. Yet he couldn't help the butterflies that filled his stomach when he thought about her loving him in that way.

Edward, reading his thoughts, growled under his breath. "Just go make my daughter happy again."

Saluting the vampire sarcastically, Jake stepping out into the darkness of the back yard and walking around the house until he reached the lower roof that the young girl was sitting on. His hands still in his pockets, he tipped his head back to smile as she sensed his presence.

"I don't want to talk, so you can just go back inside." Crossing her arms across her chest, Nessie glared down into Jacob's warm, brown eyes.

He nodded slowly, pursing his full lips as he stared at the ground. "That's okay. I don't really want to talk to you either." Turning to leave, he smiled at the sounds of the girl scrambling to the edge of the roof.

As he walked around the house towards the backdoor, he could hear her walking along the roof beside him. It was exactly this that had gained Jacob entrance into Nessie's deepest secrets as she had grown. Reverse psychology was one thing that he had perfected when it came to the young girl.

Right before the tall boy reached for the door handle Nessie blurted out, "Fine, we can talk."

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><p>"And that's why it was the worst day of my life. You can tell me how stupid I am now." She was curled up beside Jacob on her bed, his muscular arms wrapped around her in a cradle of warmness and safety. It was here in Jacob's arms that she began to calm down enough to see that she really had nothing to be upset about. The entirety of her problems had really been built up in her head to the point that she was just confused.<p>

Both teens having fallen silent, Jacob could hear the steady heartbeat of the half-human. After a while he shook his head at her previous comment, "You definitely aren't stupid. I can't imagine having to go through high school again without the pack. Especially when you've never been exposed to many people."

Nessie sat up so she could look into the brown eyes she loved so much, "I still acted foolishly. I wasn't myself at all today and I don't know how to be around these people. And now I have to have my parents breathing down my neck every day too? How am I supposed to do this?"

"I'll tell you what-" Jake let his fingers stroke her soft, pale cheek softly. "If you can make it through the rest of the week with your chin up and just be you, we'll go to La Push this weekend. The pack has been dying to see you."

Eyes twinkling with excitement, Nessie let her hand hold his to her face. "Just you and me?"

"Absolutely. And I'll talk your parents out of going to school with you. I know I wouldn't want that leech following me around all day." This resulted in Edward shouting a string of curses up the stair, causing Jake's smile to stretch even further.

It was hard to not fall into the old habits of picking on the vampire, even though he knew it probably wasn't the best thing to drag Nessie into. She didn't seem to mind though, her mind was still focused on the trip to see the rest of her "family".

Suddenly wrapping her arms around Jacob's neck, she pressed her soft lips to his smooth cheek. "I love you, Jacob."

If only she knew how much he wanted her to love him the way she was meant to.

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><p>The next day wasn't as bad as she had feared, naturally. Her aunts had actually let her walk out of the house in a simple outfit of jeans and layered tank tops. Getting ready hadn't taken nearly as long as it had the day before so Edward and Bella had taken her out to breakfast, but of course didn't eat anything themselves.<p>

Jacob had successfully talked them out of enrolling and Nessie had never been so relieved to walk into a building by herself in her life. After gathering her books from her locker, which she realized was just down the hall from almost every single class she had, she entered the home room where she had met the infamous Courtland.

As if the stars were aligned to make her day the best, Courtland wasn't at school for the day because she had been whisked off by her wealthy parents to Los Angeles for the day. So Nessie was free to sit with Malachi, quickly becoming good friends with the entire group of guys he sat with.

There wasn't much of a difference in being part of this group than the rowdy pack of werewolves that she had grown up around. She quickly got in the hang of being in a normal high school and she soon found out that, without Courtland, she enjoyed all seven of her classes.

Jacob didn't show up to rescue her at lunch but she was actually thankful for the chance to get to know Malachi even more. As it turned out, he was extremely goofy and, even though he was the school "hunk", very down to earth.

But eventually her good luck was bound to end. During a droning lecture in her World History class, the intercom clicked on and a strict, woman's voice boomed through the speakers.

"Please send Renesmee Cullen to the office immediately."

A steadily rising "Ooh" sounded throughout the room as Nessie grabbed her bag and left, confused. Replaying the last two days through her mind, she couldn't find anything that was worth being sent to the principal over. Unless Courtland had decided to play dirty and report their whispered discussion, at which point she should be in trouble too. Right?

The woman with the frightening voice ushered Nessie into a large office with dark, wood paneling that made the room look threatening. In a surprising twist, it was a young redheaded man that sat behind the giant desk in the center of the room.

He had to of only been twenty six at the oldest and even though she had never been drawn to "gingers", Nessie could admit that he was attractive. A pleasant look replaced the quizzical one that had been present on his face before she had appeared in his office.

"Miss Cullen, please sit." Standing as she took a seat in the plush chair in front of his desk, the man reached out to shake her hand. "I'm James Booth. Welcome to our school."

For a moment Nessie had been seriously afraid that she was in trouble, but now it seemed that this was the standard for new students. In the back of her mind though, she still felt like he had different reasoning for bringing her down here. And of course, she was right.

"Unfortunately I've also asked you here because it was brought to my attention by an unnamed source that during lunch period yesterday, you left the premisses without notifying the office and without a parent's consent. There will not be any punishment for it on this occasion because you were not made aware of this, though I presume this rule is in place at every school.

"At any rate, if you will just bare this in mind we won't have any other problems. Does that sound fair?" His face was kind throughout his little speech, making it impossible for Nessie to be offended by the scolding.

Agreeing to follow this rule, she stood to her feet. "Does this mean I can go back to class now?"

"Of course," Mr Booth stood with her, obviously out of habit. "Enjoy the rest of your day, Miss Cullen."

Slipping from the office out into the silent hallway, Nessie grinned wildly to herself. There was no doubt in who had ratted her out and she was almost sure that the fear of the repercussions was the real reason for Courtland's absence.

"That's fine. Two can play at that game." She spoke aloud to no one in particular.

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><p><strong>Did you like it? Leave reviews! Love you guys!<strong>


	3. Chapter Three: I Love Playing with Fire

**Hello! Thank you for the reviews! This story is slowly starting to pick up readers and I'm super excited about writing it! I appreciate the positivity from all of you, it helps motivate me. :)**

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><p><em><span>Chapter Three: I Love Playing with Fire (Kristen Stewart Cover)<span>_

The coward must have gotten word of Nessie's visit with the principal because it had soon circulated around the school that Courtland wouldn't be back for the rest of the week. It made the young halfbreed laugh to know that she had managed to scare the girl so badly with just six little words.

Malachi and Nessie had fallen into the routine of joining each other at their lockers before leaving school at the end of the day. It was great to be around someone that didn't know everything about her. She loved the friendship she had with her family, especially Jacob, but was it so wrong to leave some things a mystery?

"I can't believe Mrs. Halloway made you read that paragraph out loud in front of everyone." His face crumpling as he laughed at Nessie's embarrassment, Malachi let his arm drop across her shoulders. "I thought you were kidding about having written it about your dream."

Always the good sport, Nessie laughed along with him. "Of course not! I really did have a dream that she came to my house to kill by way of paper cuts. D- papers may I add."

Mrs. Halloway was the young English teacher that had started hating Nessie the moment Nessie had walked in to class. It didn't help that the young girl's writing abilities were above the average teachings of Pre-AP English at this school. Not that she flaunted her way with words, but everything she did seemed to scream "bragging" no matter what she did to prevent it.

When Nessie was finally done reading the short assignment, the entire room heaving with laughter, the evil woman had sent her to see Mr. James Booth. The teacher must have called him ahead of time because he already had a disappointed expression set into his face before she hit the door.

"I thought we had decided you wouldn't be returning to my office for quite some time, Miss Cullen." He shook his head, his lips trembling as he forced back the laughter that was soon to come just by the ridiculousness of Mrs. Halloway's anger.

Grinning at the tall redhead, Nessie took the seat that she was sure could be claimed as hers from now on. "Whoops."

Having been in class to watch her get sent off, Malachi felt he had every right and reason to tease Nessie. She didn't mind, her week had ended up a lot better than she had suspected it would.

"So what are you doing this weekend? If you aren't busy, there's that new movie out. We could go- with a group of course." His voice cracked at the word 'we', making his face turn a deep shade of red.

Nessie could feel him getting more and more uncomfortable as the milliseconds ticked on, but she didn't know what to say. She really was going to La Push with Jake, but what if he took that as just an excuse to get him away. As they descended the steps to the parking lot, she made a decision.

"Actually I'm going to be out of town. I'm going to visit some friend with Ja- my brother. How about we go next weekend? Even if no one wants to go with." Using the information she had gathered from TV and books, Nessie reached out to touch his bare forearm.

This seemed to have a bigger effect on Malachi than her, suddenly making her regret the action. She didn't think she had feelings for the blonde boy, but she'd never had feelings for anyone before so how would she know?

A bike being revved captured the attention of everyone outside. Nessie looked up to see Jake sitting on his bike in jeans and a black leather jacket, his hair damp from an afternoon shower. Before she could help herself, Nessie's face lit up and her stomach tightened.

Had he always been this attractive? If so, why hadn't she figured it out until now?

"Who's that?" The forgotten blonde whispered into Nessie's ear, his eyes flickering between the pair staring at each other from across the parking lot. "Ness-"

Grabbing a hold of his rolled up sleeve, the young girl pulled him with her towards the motorcyclist. "Jake! I thought I was supposed to meet you at home?"

Jake was pleased that she didn't seem the least bit unhappy about his sudden appearance, but the kid standing behind her wasn't in the least bit pleased. This brought him great joy for the boy reminded him of Mike Newton, Bella's high school admirer.

Just to be a jerk, Jake took advantage of the situation and pulled Nessie to his body. "I guess I was just so excited about our trip this weekend I showed up early." He shot a deadly look over her thin shoulder at the terrified boy, not really trying to be scary for he was just having fun.

Sensing the tension going on between the two boys and realizing that she had told Malachi it was her brother that was taking her on the trip, Nessie figured she'd better come clean. Or at least partially. "Malachi this is Jacob, my should-be brother. Jake this is Malachi, the guy that saved me from sitting alone all the time."

There, that fixed it, right?

Wrong. Jacob looked as if he had just been slapped. He understood that Nessie wasn't completely aware of the meaning of their imprint, but to full on call him her brother was a low blow. Did she not see how hard he was trying to ease her into realization?

Malachi nodded at Jacob before turning to Nessie, preparing to throw their relationship in the tan boy's face as he just had. "So next weekend? Movies, you and me?"

Not completely oblivious but pretending to be, Nessie nodded happily. "See you on Monday." She watched the blonde boy walk to the line of buses, every once in a while turning back to look at them again.

Once he was safely out of sight, Nessie flung her tiny fist at Jake's bulky arm. "Ass! That was so uncalled for! He's probably afraid for his life with the way you were looking at him!"

"He'll get over it. Eventually. Maybe." Swinging his leg over the bike, Jake revved the engine, much to the amusement of a group of girls older than Nessie.

Noticing their obvious attraction to Jacob, Nessie slipped onto the back of the bike and let her arms wrap around his muscular form. Shaking her perfect curls back from her face, she grinned evilly at the group who now stood in shock of the perfect pair.

Jake pulled out of the parking lot, zooming past cars as he headed towards the Cullen's secluded home.

"So are we riding the bike all the way to Sam's?" It wasn't like they hadn't taken a trip that long on the motorcycle but it wasn't the most comfortable mode of transportation.

Grinning mischievously over his shoulder at the young girl, Jake shook his head. "Edward's letting us take the Aston Martin."

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

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><p>"I'm puttin' on my shades to cover up my eyes,<p>

I'm jumpin' in my ride,

I'm headin' out tonight,

I'm solo,

I'm ridin' solo,

I'm ridin' solo,

I'm ridin' solo,

Solo!"

Flicking the volume knob up enough that the entire car seemed to be pounding with the sound, Nessie let her hand fall behind Jacob's head and tangled her fingers in the scruffy hair on the back of his head. She smiled shyly when he caught eyes with her, moving her hand to the seat between them.

Jake noticed the way her small hand was open like an invitation, not sure how she would react if he just took the plunge. Always the impulsive one, he let his fingers twine with hers and took great pleasure in her attempt to act like she didn't even notice.

But of course her heart was beating a million times per second and she wanted to burst out in hysterical laughter just to fill the awkward silence that even the radio couldn't fill.

She settled for leaning her head back against the seat like she was drifting to sleep, her hand still in his.

This trip might be more entertaining than they had predicted.

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><p>Jake pulled into Sam's yard sloppily, spraying a shower of gravel into the faces of the werewolves sitting on the steps of the old, quaint house. This resulted in a string of cuss words and hand gestures from most of the tan boys, only Seth realized who Jake had brought with him on this particular trip.<p>

"Nessie!" Seth, now the same size as Nessie because she had managed to gain her father's tall genes, threw his body against her with a force that almost knocked her down.

She realized that the pack must not have been told that she was coming, because they sprung into action when they saw her. Quil and Embry were the next to grab her, scrambling to gain more attention that the other.

Paul held her at arms length and commented on how good she looked, a smug grin on his face when Jake threw an entire bush at his head. Sam and Emily, the "parents" of the pack, finally got everyone calmed down enough to ask Nessie how she liked her new home.

Catching eyes with Jacob and immediately feeling uncomfortable under his intense gaze, she raked her bangs back from her face. "It's not too bad. My only friends are a group of goofy guys, which I guess is right at home for me."

Jake's face darkened as he remembered the blonde kid that had claimed the young girl's attention for his own. She of course noticed this, but forced herself to ignore it. Even if she wanted to put a stop to Malachi's friendliness, there was nothing she could do at this very moment.

Putting his hand on Jake's shoulder, Sam directed his comments at Nessie as if asking her permission. "I know you just arrived, but I need to borrow Jake for a little bit. Then he's all yours."

"We can go for a walk!" Seth grabbed Nessie's hand and pulled her towards the woods. She didn't argue with the determined boy, for there was no point. They had always been extremely close, but not in the same intense way that she was with Jake.

Holding hands with Seth wasn't like holding hands with Jake. Where Jacob's hand had been large and soft, Seth's was considerably smaller and slightly sticky with sweat. Both were warm though, which felt amazing against her cold skin.

It was more than that though. Chills flowed freely up and down Nessie's back every time the older werewolf touched her. And the way his eyes bored through hers to touch something so secretive and deep inside of her, only seemed to make the chills worse.

Something told her that this is what it would feel like to hold hands with Malachi too. A brotherly affection was all that she had to offer the blonde boy, but that left her with only one real option.

Loving Jacob.

That wasn't even close to something she could come to terms with anytime soon. Even if he was falling for her faster and harder every moment they were together.

"We miss you, you know. Even Jake complains that he doesn't see you enough and he's there all the time." His voice was thoughtful but lighthearted. "It really sucks to not be able to just run for ten minutes and see you guys."

Edward and Seth had been close friends since before Nessie's birth, which seemed to freak Jake out just as much as her. It was nice to know that her father wasn't against every single guy in the world.

Of course he had picked the extremely hot one to hate though.

Leaning her weight against Seth as they walked through the woods, Nessie chuckled to herself. "Well you aren't the only one that wishes that I would move back here."

Seth nodded to himself, removing his hand from hers so he could throw his arm around her shoulder and she could do the same. "Well you're always welcome to just come back."

If only that's how life worked.

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><p>Jake and Sam sat at the dining room table of the dimly lit kitchen, arguing their different views of what Sam viewed as a situation. Jake sat with his elbows on his knees, his eyes tracing the cracks in the linoleum as he held himself back from exploding.<p>

Trying to calm his fellow werewolf even as he spoke words that neither wanted to hear, Sam dug his nails into his own palms. "I'm just saying that we need to be careful. If they're really here to destroy her like we thought they had wanted to in the first place, then we need to be ready.

"I was wrong in not protecting her the last time. I'm not making the same mistake again. But if there's one thing we've learned from fighting those- people, it's you can't let your feelings for her get in the way."

Still staring at the ground, Jake all but growled at the other alpha when he spoke next. "That's not something to be worried about. She has no idea what the imprint really means. Even though I'm trying to lay it on her slowly."

His comment seemed to shock Sam, "What do you mean she doesn't know what the imprint meant? You said you explained it that night before she started school."

"Explained what?" A confused, angry voice cut into their conversation from the dark porch.

Nessie stepped into the kitchen, her eyes refusing to look anywhere but Jake's face. He seemed mortified, his mouth opening and closing a dozen times before he just gave up.

Taking it upon himself to fix the situation that he had started, Sam jumped between Nessie and the tan boy about to burst into flames from her death stare. "An imprint isn't just a bond that links your futures together as friends. Yes, he's always been you're friend, brother, and protector. But when the other person is ready, you become their lover. Essentially, you're the only one that could ever be Jacob's life partner and the same for you."

"I wanted you to feel what you felt for me before I told you the truth. The last thing I want is for you to feel pressured into loving me." Jake's voice was so small it almost didn't sound like him.

She couldn't believe that she had been lied to this long about such a vital part of her future. Maybe it was just her bitchy teenager coming through, but she blamed Jake for not confiding in her when she had told him more over the years than she had wanted to.

Her face stony and cold, Nessie spit her words at Jacob. "All I feel for you now is disgust. So I hope you're happy." Her exit would have been much more dramatic had she realized that the sliding, glass door wasn't open before she ran into it.

No one laughed though, even after she was safely out of earshot and sitting in the back seat of the car.

And as if to add to the spoiling of the weekend, it started pouring down rain. Fuck.

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><p>Needless to say, the rest of the weekend was horrible. Nessie stuck to Seth like they were glued to each other, not that he seemed to mind. She even went as far to sleep at Jacob's father, Billy's home so as to not be around the object of her annoyance.<p>

He was so miserable and angry that he ran in his wolf form for hours just to get away from the girl that was slowly making his heart crumble into dust. Never had he expected her to be so angry at him for not telling her the truth to begin with, but he should have suspected her stubbornness would affect her view of the sudden news.

Not sure whether her anger should be taken as a good or bad sign, Jake just didn't think of it as a sign at all.

When they finally left the reservation late Sunday evening, Jake was almost sick with nervousness over the long car ride. He didn't need to be though, for she kept her iPod in her ears the entire time, not talking to him even when he dropped her off at home.

How was it possible to go from starting to fall in love with someone to ignoring them all together? An even more important question, was this all a part of some big messed up vampire PMS syndrome?

That is, if halfbreed 15 year old girls can even have periods.

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><p>Nessie's homeroom teacher was home sick with the flu, leaving them with a thin, geeky man to let them run the classroom. She wasn't so lucky when it came to Courtland though and she was immediately thrown into a verbal competition when she walked in the door.<p>

"Did you miss me, Cullen?" The smirk spreading across the evil girl's face made Nessie's stomach churn. She really didn't want to deal with this the day after she had found out her best friend was supposed to be her soul mate too. "I would say that I couldn't wait to return to see you, but you didn't cross my mind once."

If this was supposed to insult Nessie, it didn't work. "I have bigger things in life than worrying about you, Courtland. Unlike you, I don't have to stay up all night to think about smart comebacks in advance."

The entire class burst into laughter, giving the tired girl a secret satisfaction that couldn't even compare to what she felt when she saw the sour look on her enemy's face. She had hoped that was it, she really had, but nothing could stop before there was some type of blood shed.

"No, I imagine you have other things to fill your nights with. We've all seen that ridiculous, older guy on the bike. What exactly have you been doing with him?"

Normally the comment would have rolled right off Nessie's back, but not today. Literally stopping in her tracks on her way to her seat, she turned slowly towards the grinning girl. "Listen, whore. It's not my fault you can't seem to get anyone to like you. Maybe if you didn't try to throw your 95 pounds of weight around and stopped acting like a bitch, you'd have someone to bang at night. Instead of having lesbian affairs with your band of brainless barbies over there."

Silence filled the classroom, even Malachi's jaw was hanging open in shock. Nessie wasn't stupid, she had heard the suspicions of how Courtland's loneliness had gotten to her. But she had definitely been the only one to ever call her out on it.

Pulling herself back to reality, Courtland crossed the room and grabbed a handful of Nessie's curls. "That was the dumbest thing you've ever done in your life, Renesmee Cullen. I will make your life hell. Trust me."

An almost insane smile spread across Nessie's normally soft features, frightening even the substitute from moving to break up the argument. "No. Trust _me_, honey. I will eat you alive."

If only Courtland knew how much truth was behind that statement.

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><p><strong>Dang this took a while to write. Sorry! Did you like it? Leave reviews! Love you!<strong>


	4. Chapter Four: If I Had You

**Hey guys! Thank you so much for reading! And if I don't get this up before whatever Holiday you celebrate, I hope you had a lovely time doing whatever it is you did! I celebrate Christmas and I know I'm going to/did have a good time. :) Anyway, leave reviews! I also have a quick question, would it be totally awkward if I showed Malachi and Jake away from Nessie? I think it would really help me delve into their characters.. Let me know what you think!**

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><p><em><span>Chapter Four: If I Had You (Adam Lambert)<span>_

The blonde's red eyes scanned the Italian skyline, her thin lips barely moving as she spoke. "You yourself said that both of her parents would be a wonderful addition to the Volturi. How can you not see the brilliance of recruiting their offspring?"

This same conversation had taken place dozens of times over the last seven years, but Jane had been shut down every time. She had realized how wonderfully the young half breed would be in their court. Aro, being an old friend of the leader of the Olympic clan, didn't have any interest on stepping on toes.

After realizing that they were not only up against a combined effort of vampires, but also a large group of shape-shifters, the Volturi had vowed to never set foot on the Cullen's land. Caius had reminded his brother that this vow could be broken if provoked, but Jane's plan definitely breached their promise.

"I did not say it wouldn't be wonderful to have her in our ranks, Jane. If you do not remember, I was the only one of us to truly experience the child's powers. However, I am not willing to battle for something so trivial." Aro sat on his throne, his inhumanly pale hands folded in his lap.

Crossing to where the tall man sat, Jane flashed her teeth in a gruesome smile. The normally brilliant white row was stained red from their midnight snack, a group of tourists that had wondered a bit to close to the secret entrance of their palace. "What if we didn't force her into anything? What if she came to you instead, wanting to join us? Surely her parents would not go against her wishes when she is so close to adulthood."

Not having thought of this, Aro stood to his feet at the idea. "She would have to trust us, my dear. Under no circumstances could we frighten her into speaking of us."

"Alec and I will go. She wouldn't push away children her own age, now would she." A thin, eerie sound that sounded faintly of laughter erupted from her throat. "To America."

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><p>Smacking Malachi's arm with the back of her hand, Nessie threw her arm around his shoulders. "You're a jerk, you know."<p>

"Yeah but you love me anyway." Grinning from ear to ear, he winked at the tall girl. Sitting in one of the other classes they had together, Nessie had cussed aloud when her phone had gone off unexpectedly. The teacher had not only taken away her phone, but she had been sent to see her good friend, Principal Booth.

The man seemed to like her enough that he let her off the hook yet again, she new her luck would eventually end but she was golden for now. Malachi seemed to find her criminal record hilarious, until she pointed out that her lack of phone would prevent them from conversing outside of school.

Taking his seat beside her in English, the forever smiling boy groaned at the message scrawled across the board in the front of the room. Mrs. Halloway had obviously been pissed off by someone in her life, because the whiteboard announced the beginning of a nine week research partner.

As the rest of the class realized this too, the room erupted in groans. Standing at the podium beside the board, Mrs. Halloway stared at each and every student until it was silent.

"As you can see, we will be starting our semester essay today. Ky, would you please?" Holding out a stack of handouts, Mrs. Halloway waited for Malachi to join her at the front of the room. She returned to her speech as he passed the papers down the rows of solemn teens, often smiling brilliantly at Nessie as he progressed through the room. "The essay will need to be ten pages in MLA format, this is covered on the handouts.

"The topic of the essay is a complete guide of life in a time period of your choice. You will need to use at least one primary source, if this is difficult for your time period I will be willing to help. It will be in your best interest to write down the dates of your research as well as the titles of any books or websites you use. A separate bibliography will need to be completed and turned in along with the essay.

"Now to the part that I assume will please most of you," The young woman paused, pursing her lips as if she regretted her decision already. "You may work with one partner of your choice, but keep in mind the characteristics you will want to work with for nine weeks."

Before she was even done talking, Malachi pointed straight at Nessie. "You're mine."

This caused the class to giggle, but they quickly settled down at the hard look Mrs. Halloway was giving the boy. After a few moments of complete silence, she continued. "We will not be working on these in class, so use your free time accordingly. Now, if you haven't already disrupted class to do so, you may choose your partners."

Returning to his seat, the tall boy grinned at what he now considered his best friend. "What time period do you want to cover, pal?"

Already having a brilliant idea in mind, Nessie bit her lip mischievously. "How about the early 1900's?"

Little did the boy know, the only sources they would really need was her family.

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><p>Flopping onto the couch with her parents, Nessie pulled her newly rescued cell phone. Principal Booth had found her after school in order to return her cell phone, warning her to keep it on silent when in class. Courtland and her cronies had been standing with a group of senior boys, spitting insults towards her as soon as all teachers were out of earshot.<p>

Paying little to no attention to them, she had dialed Jake's cell phone. They hadn't spoken since he had dropped her off at home that Sunday night, but she hadn't expected him to stay away this long. She actually planned on apologizing for blowing up on him, even though she was still angry about his lying.

Having managed to push the thoughts of the imprint out of her mind for this long, Nessie couldn't hold it in any longer. Tears stung at her eyes as she climbed in Emmett's Jeep, not speaking a word the entire ride home.

Her fingers flying across the dainty keys, the young girl finally gave in and sent the tan boy a text message.

_ I'm sorry. Come home, please. We need to talk about it._

Edward listened to the thoughts bouncing around in his daughter's head, anger for Jacob building within him. Without speaking a word, he pulled the young girl against his chest.

Not surprisingly, she began to cry like a child. It was irrational to cry over someone loving her in that way, but she felt as though she needed to get it out before she thought about how she herself felt.

The two older vampires sitting on the couch with Nessie, met eyes. A silent message of understanding flowing between them. Bella had been forced to make a choice, the hardest compromise she had ever been faced with, but she knew that Nessie would do what was right.

"If it's meant to be, it will happen." The older vampire whispered as she leaned down to kiss her daughter's head before leaving the pair alone in the living room.

Nessie always had been a daddy's girl.

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><p>Malachi climbed out of his mother's SUV, his eyes glued to the giant house nestled in the woods. There was more glass windows than walls, making the entire structure look very modern and edgy. The lights inside the house cast huge shadows across the perfectly landscaped yard, intimidating the boy more and more as he stood there.<p>

Leaning across the passenger seat to look at her son, Mary Jarrett's brow furrowed. "Well I guess you can just call me when you finish up with-"

"Nessie, Mom. Her name's Nessie." He rolled his eyes at his mother's obvious attempt to forget his English partner's name. It was apparent how excited she was to be around a girl his age that's name didn't start with a "C" and end in "ourtland".

As if her name was Taboo, Nessie came bounding down the steps to the scuffed, maroon SUV. "Hello, Mrs. Jarrett. I'm Nessie. Thanks for letting Malachi come over. I promise not to hold him for too long."

The middle aged woman seemed just as charmed by the young girl as her son had been, smiling pleasantly at the comment. "Feel free to keep him as long as you'd like. Have a good time, Ky. But don't forget you're here to do homework!"

Nodding as he followed Nessie into the warm house, Malachi threw his arm around her shoulders like he always did. Nessie had half a mind to shrug out of the embrace so as to not alert her family of their touchy friendship, but decided the pain she would see in his eyes wasn't something she wanted to experience.

Edward could hear her contemplating how the family would take the strange friendship and immediately turned to speak to the group, not loudly enough to be detected by the boy's human ears in the next room. "Renesmee would like for you to look past the physical contact this boy is familiar to. Don't pay it any mind."

He had just finished speaking when the teens entered the living room where the group of pale adults sat. A sharp intake of breath seemed to please Rosalie more than anyone, as Malachi encountered the perfection of the Cullen family.

Gracefully ignoring his awe, Nessie pulled him into the doorway in order to introduce her family. "Everyone this is Malachi. Malachi, these are all my adopted brothers and sisters. Alice and Jasper are the pair sitting on the loveseat, Rosalie leaning against the wall, Emmett is the one laying on the floor like a weirdo." She had to think for a moment before continuing, not yet comfortable with referring to her parents by their birth names.

"Bella is sitting on the couch with my adopted parents, Carlisle and Esme. And Edward is the one leaning against the doorjamb." Her eyes catching with Carlisle's powerful gaze, the young girl forced herself to not smile. The warm golden liquid of his eyes sparkled with entertainment, also present in Edward and Emmett's.

Waving his muscular fingers daintily, Emmett batted his eyelashes towards the blonde boy. He enjoyed teasing his niece as much as possible, but had never gotten the chance to mess with her friends. It was almost like Christmas for him.

Turning away from the disturbing man, Malachi eyes Nessie's amused face. "What about your 'should be' brother?"

Her amusement fading quickly, she shook her bronze bangs in front of her face before immediately raking them back again. "He's not here, because he decided to be an asshole."

A low snarl erupted from Edward's throat, but he didn't say any more. Nessie knew that a lecture would be in her near future, she still wasn't old enough in his mind to cuss.

"We need to go work on our paper. Come on, Malachi." Pulling him from the room, Nessie listened for the laughter that was sure to erupt in the now silent living room.

As the pair hit the bottom of the stairs, Emmett's thunderous guffaws followed them to the library on the second floor. Malachi took this well, laughing quietly along with the older man. "You have a very interesting family."

Sighing as she flipped open her laptop, Nessie nodded. "You have no idea."

* * *

><p>Twilight passed by quickly, leaving the world in a shroud of darkness only broken by the eerie lights coming from the monstrous home. Clacking of long nails on keyboard keys the only thing keeping Malachi from slipping into unconsciousness. His arm propped up on the huge, wooden table in the center of the study, he watched the girl's large brown eyes flicker across the computer screen.<p>

Artificial blue light lit up her face, making her normally soft features poke out like needles. Glossy red lips were pursed in concentration, her thin fingers periodically diddling with the edge of the table. The movement was so fast and spastic it was hard for Malachi to distinguish each tap from the next.

Finally breaking out of his trance, the blonde leaned over to read the research along with her. "Are we almost done? I feel like I'm going to pass out at any moment."

Nessie smiled at his lack of attention, closing the laptop and getting rid of the creepy glow it produced. "You're such a child. But yes, we're done."

"Jesus, that sounded like something Courtland would say." Malachi flopped back against his chair, rubbing his eyes with his fists like a little boy. Realizing this had offended her, he quickly backtracked. "I don't mean that you're anything like her, I just- She was always making fun of me when we were dating. I guess it just hit a nerve."

Needless to say, Nessie was shocked. He had never bothered to tell her of his relationship with Courtland. By the way they ignored each other on most days, she had assumed they were just part of the same crowd. She found it interesting, how his entire face seemed to crumple when thinking about the bitchy girl.

Sitting forward so she could look at his face, her entire leg started to bounce up and down. It was a nervous twitch she had always had, but when she thought about it, she had definitely picked it up from Jake.

Jake, that wasn't something she wanted to think about right now. "Then why'd you date her? It probably wasn't worth getting made fun of. Unless she's a lot better of a sex partner than I would initially assume."

Even her obvious stab at Courtland's morals didn't crack Malachi's solemness. Her leg picked up the pace of it's bouncing as she waited for him to speak.

"She's not the girl I dated. I mean, I didn't date this version of her. I was with 'Court', not Courtland. She changed so much after we broke up, making hell of anyone's life that she can get her hands on." Shaking his head as he thought about it, Malachi smiled sadly. "My Courtland was the sweetest girl I'd ever met, but now I can't help thinking that I was wrong about her the entire time. Like my eyes were covered the entire year and a half we were dating."

Not knowing how to respond, Nessie just nodded so he would keep talking.

He didn't even need her prompting in order to continue. "We got together towards the end of 7th grade and just broke up a few months ago. I guess what really gets to me about it is, I seriously hoped we would break the standard. We were going to be that couple that lasted longer than any other even though we got together so young. She managed to prove that theory wrong in the end."

"If you were so sure that you would work, why did you break up?" Nessie wasn't sure if they were close enough for her to delve into the obviously deep rooted issues, but she had to try. Some part of her hoped that Malachi would have some special insight that would help her deal with the scraps of her relationship with Jake.

A sharp laugh escaping from his lips made her jump. His green eyes turned just as hard as the gemstone they resembled. "She had started talking to this guy at school behind my back. When I asked about it, she just blew it off, saying they were friends. We started fighting a lot after that, making the entire situation even worse than it already was.

"Sometimes it felt like fighting with her was actually fun, which is a really disturbing concept but it's the truth. I liked making her cry, it was the only power I had left over her. You must think I'm sick." He caught eyes with Nessie before sheepishly looking away, just barely catching her nod in disagreement. "Well you should. She told me later that I drove her away because I was acting like a dick.

"Anyway, after a few months of fighting nonstop, she told me we needed to take a break in order to get the "new relationship" feeling back. That's when I totally lost myself and did something I never thought I would. I begged her for days to take me back, doing everything an amazing boyfriend would do. Eventually she had the courtesy to tell me that she didn't love me anymore and that she really liked the guy.

Sighing softly, like a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders simply by talking about it, Malachi stared over Nessie's head as he continued. "I finally realized there was nothing I could do to change her mind and I officially ended it with her. She was more shocked than anything. I found myself again after that, actually going back to the person I had been before. I don't regret being with her, but I don't regret breaking up either."

Silence filled the study. Nessie absorbing the story, Malachi applauding himself for finally getting the feelings off of his chest. He hadn't ever told anyone the whole story, only bits and pieces to certain people. Why was it so easy to confide in this girl he'd only know for a few weeks? It came so naturally, without a second thought.

Finally breaking the silence, Nessie cleared her throat. "Who was the guy? I didn't think she was dating anyone now."

"She's not. He moved just before school started, they decided it wasn't worth trying long distance. I wish the douche bag had figured that out before he got her to break my heart. Actually, I wish they were still together."

This shocked Nessie, she would think that Courtland's heartbreak would be the ultimate revenge. "Why? Didn't you want to see her suffer like you did? Maybe I'm just a complete bitch, but I'd relish that feeling."

Shaking his head quickly, Malachi's eyes grew twice their normal size as she watched memories fill his brain. "I thought so too, but now she doesn't have anything holding her back from bothering me. Just when I think I'm completely fine, she pulls. It'll finally stop hurting to see her at school and she'll text me that she's lonely. And my stupid ass will just bow to her every whim. I don't know how to resist her by myself."

"You aren't by yourself anymore, I'll gladly knock sense into your thick head at any time." This earned a half smile from Malachi and before she gave it a second thought, Nessie leaned forward and pressed her lips to his soft cheek. "I'll always be here."

Smoothly ignoring the kiss, Malachi leaned forward to hug her tightly. "Same to you, little one."

* * *

><p>Yanking open the door to his Rabbit, Jake reached across the seat to grab his cheap cell phone. He balanced the device on the hood as he buttoned his shorts, having just returned home from an extremely long run somewhere in northern Canada.<p>

Text message after text message popped up on the busted screen, each and every one from Nessie. He read them quickly before deleting them in bulk and shoving the phone in his pocket.

Multitasking by pulling on shoes and a shirt at the same time, the tall boy swung into the piece of shit car. Needless to say, he was still upset about Nessie's reaction and his stupidity of gauging how she would take the news.

A high pitched twinkle sounded from his pocket just as he pulled into a parking spot in front of the only convenience store in La Push, Washington.

"Hello?" He growled into the phone as he entered the chilly store, going straight for the chips and pulling five bags into his arms.

He hadn't looked at the caller ID before answering, so the strong voice of Edward Cullen startled him. "Nice way to answer your phone, mutt."

It was obvious that he wasn't around any of his family or he wouldn't have insulted Jacob so openly. That was fine, the wolf wasn't in the best mood either. "This better be good, leech. I'm on break from spoiled blood sucker duty."

Edward didn't skip a beat, not in the least bit insulted by the comment. "Actually I called to see what you knew about this Malachi kid. I figured you found out something before you decided to make my daughter cry."

The mention of the young blonde only made Jake's temper grow, "I don't know shit about the kid. If you hadn't already noticed, Nessie doesn't trust me with anything. Not that it's any more than I deserve."

"Jacob, you need to come back. She's just a child, you need to remember that. If you love her, you'll understand what she's feeling. But you better do it fast, before her new friend takes her away from you. It's already beginning." A sharp click sounded the end of the conversation.

What did he mean It was already beginning? Jake wasn't going to wait to figure it out. Throwing a 20 dollar bill on the counter in front of a frightened, tiny woman, he strutted straight to his car.

If he went the speed limit, he would be able to make it to Oregon and Nessie within a few hours. But then again, since when had he obeyed the law?

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><p><strong>This was an intense chapter for me to write.. But I hope you like it. Tell me what you think!<strong>


	5. Chapter Five: Stutter

**Hey everyone! I feel like between this story and my Harry Potter Fanfic, I'm just chugging out chapters! It's so nice to be on winter break. I feel like I get SO much done! Anyway, please review!**

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><p><em><span>Chapter Five: Stutter (Maroon 5)<span>_

The house was quiet but Jacob knew better than to think the family was sleeping. Judging by Edward's constant crabbiness, it wasn't hard to believe that the man hadn't slept in over a century. This thought caused low growls to echo through the walls as he crept up the stairs to the sleeping girl's room. It was rather early for Nessie to be sleeping but she was curled into a ball, only taking up the top right portion of her bed, her face relaxed to the point that she was corpse-like.

Crossing the room, he let his rough fingertips brush against her cold skin. She had kicked off the blankets that were now wrapped around her feet, so he pulled them up around her shoulders. He had been so sure that he was going to storm into her room, wake her from her peaceful slumber and chew her up one side and down the other.

Something in her small face stopped him, his heart squeezing as he listened to the breath quietly escaping her parted lips. Lifting her soft hand to his cheek, rough from lack of shaving, and let himself slip into her dreams. Suddenly, all that filled his mind were images of himself throughout the years.

From her birth to now, he watched the progression of their relationship through fresh eyes. The tall boy was sure that it was a new outlook for her also, every touch shared between them lingering behind her eyes. Then the images changed from memories to fantasies and there he was again, standing in front of her in the middle of the woods.

Standing on the tips of her toes, the young girl pulled his face to hers and they kissed. It was too much for Jacob, he yanked out of her subconscious, his heart rate picking up as he realized what she had just realized. She loved him too.

The dark skinned boy was halfway out the door when Nessie woke, rolling over to watch him as he watched her. "Don't go. I'm awake now."

She hadn't realized that he was with her in her dreams, in more way than one. Forcing himself to calm down, Jake squatted down beside her bed and let his head fall on his crossed arms that lay on the mattress. "It's a school night, young lady. You need all the sleep you can get in order to get through Algebra 2 tomorrow."

"Screw math." Rolling her eyes, Nessie propped her head up on her hand in order to stare into his warm, brown eyes. "We're going to have to talk eventually, you know."

Nodding to himself, Jake gave her a half smile. "I thought we already came to the conclusion that I'm a dick and you aren't happy with me?"

Large brown eyes searched his as she bit her lip in thought. She must have seen something in them that made up her mind for she pulled him onto the bed beside her. It was as natural as always when he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back to his front. "Can I ask you a question?" Reluctantly, Jake nodded. "How much do you love me?"

He didn't answer right away. How could he explain to this girl that he would die for her, that he would give her up if it meant providing her with what she wanted? Who she wanted. Whispering the words into her ear, Jake hoped that it wouldn't scare her away. "I love you enough to wait forever. I love you enough that if that k- Malachi is who will make you happy, then I'll step aside. Your smile is enough to get me through any type of pain I could ever be put through." Fearing he made a mistake in his answer, he cursed himself for telling her he'd be okay.

There was no way in hell that he could live without her. He'd lost her mother the same way, but this was different. When did he develop the role of Edward? The role of selflessness and sacrifice? It didn't matter. He'd already dug his own grave and her silence was scaring him more and more as moments passed.

"I love you too, Jake. Being with you is my idea of a perfect life, but we need to take it slow. I don't want Dad to decide that you're a dog with rabies that needs put down." Nessie stared at the wall as she spoke, enjoying the warmth emanating from the tall boy.

It was as if Jacob was learning how to break again. Sucking in a large, relieved breath, he smiled. "I think I could take him."

They both waited for the growl from somewhere downstairs that didn't come. Edward had tuned himself out, giving them the private moment. Everything seemed to be falling into place. But how long would it stay that way?

* * *

><p>Malachi's arms threatened to give out as he followed Nessie through the hallway with her books as well as his. She was pulling her straightened, bronze hair up in a ponytail in order to escape the heat of the school and he had been the designated mule. Groaning as he dodged upperclassmen stalking down the hallway.<p>

The school board had announced that due to Pre-ACT's going on all week, no one would be allowed off-campus lunch. This didn't blow over well with the Seniors and Juniors that enjoyed the freedom they held over the ninth and tenth graders.

As they reached Nessie's locker, she finished the ponytail and took her books back. "It's not like they're just punishing them. We have to deal with their pissed off attitudes for the rest of the day. And excuse me, but I don't enjoy egotistical jerks that think they own the school just because they're leaving sooner than us."

"Don't let it get to you." Malachi dropped his books in the bottom of her locker before she could complain and turned to lean against the lockers. "Hey, you never did tell me why you're in such a good mood today."

The tall girl watched him from behind a curtain of bronze bangs as he held out his arm to bump his fist against almost every passing person. That was the beauty of living in a town your whole life, you became extremely popular just because everyone didn't have a choice in knowing you. Of course it helped that he was the best baseball pitcher in school and also the nicest 'prep' Nessie had ever met.

How was she supposed to explain to this smiling boy that her happiness branched from her newly discovered love for Jake? This was one of those times when it was definitely worth lying. At least until Malachi realized that they just wouldn't be right together.

Yes, it was obvious to Nessie that the blonde liked her. But it was also apparent that she didn't feel the same way. Why does high school have to be such a soap opera?

"I got an A on my Algebra test. Highest grade in class." It wasn't a complete lie. She had gotten the best score, but that definitely wasn't worthy of this amount of happiness.

Whether it was the power of his mind wanting to believe her or Malachi's foolish believing, it didn't matter. He grinned largely, hugging her in his exaggerated, corny way. "Way to go, little one. I might need you to tutor me before baseball season starts."

Rolling her eyes, Nessie shut her locker and headed towards the cafeteria. Malachi opened his mouth to say something else but was cut off by the static of the speakers, announcing a new announcement. There were only a few stragglers left in the hallway, most students already in the cafeteria, so the pair actually heard the message booming over the intercom. "Sign up sheets for the school Show Choir will be posted next to the office. Auditions will take place this Friday directly after school. Each student will need to have a song prepared for auditions and will be asked to learn and perform a choreographed dance. Show off your talents and sign up!"

By the time the intercom was shut off, Malachi was already jabbering away at reasons why Nessie should show up. "I've heard you sing along to your CD's. You're really good. And just think, Courtland always gets the main parts in plays and choir performances. How awesome would it be for you to beat her at it?"

"I thought the first day of school already explained that I don't do well under pressure. Besides, I'm only a 'shower singer', I don't sing in front of people." Grabbing a Coca Cola and a cookie, Nessie followed the line through the front of the cafeteria.

Courtland sat at the table filled with football players, watching the pair go through the lunch line. Her stomach knotted as she saw the way Malachi stared at Nessie, as if she was the most precious thing in the world. She'd seen the same look mirrored in the tall boy on the motorcycle. Why did this one girl have so much power over guys? Especially the one she loved.

No, love wasn't what she felt for Malachi. It never had been. The thrill of competition was what drew her to the blonde now, but that wasn't what had caught her interest in the first place. She really had liked him in seventh grade, the feelings had just gone away.

"Fine, I'll sign up. If it will make you happy. But don't expect me to get in." Nessie leaned her weight against the tall blonde as they looked for seats in the overcrowded, sterile room.

Taking her moment of weakness in stride, Malachi pulled her from the cafeteria and towards the office. Neither of the teens noticed that Courtland had left just before them, until they came upon her standing in front of the sign up sheet.

Nessie watched as the girl concentrated on each and every letter of her name, taking up the top line of the sheet. When she turned around, she wasn't surprised to see them standing there. Tossing the pen to the bronze haired girl, Courtland left without a word.

What had she done to make this girl hate her so much? It had gone from constant insults to quiet but deadly looks that scared Nessie far worse than the first option. However, it wasn't in her nature to show fear so she stepped up to the bulletin board.

Drawing a thick, straight line directly above Courtland's name, the young half-breed printed her name above the other girl's. Just to show she could.

* * *

><p>Mary and Matthew Jarrett sat at the dining room table, anxiously awaiting whatever concoction their son had decided to make for supper. He had taken it upon himself to cook once a week to show his parents how much he appreciated them, not taking into consideration that he simply had no skills in the trade.<p>

Like good parents, they encouraged him to try even though they knew it would only end in disaster. The middle aged woman opened her mouth to say that nothing bad had happened so far when a loud ringing erupted in the kitchen, immediately silenced by an executed throw of a pot.

A smoke covered Malachi emerged from the kitchen, "I think now is the time to call in for pizza."

* * *

><p>Forty five minutes later, the little family were gathered back around the table, chomping on pizza. Malachi was defending himself as his mother threw accusations of a crush on Nessie at him, causing his face to turn red.<p>

"We're just friends, Mom. She doesn't seem into me anyway." He looked out the window as he spoke, pretending that he didn't care about the truth of the statement.

Matthew Jarrett, not the most logical thinker in the family, sat back in his chair to stare at his son. "Is she a lesbian or something?"

Not feeling that this deserved an answer, Malachi went back to eating. As he was helping his mother wrap the leftovers in cellophane wrap, his phone vibrated in his pocket. To his horror, the screen told him that the message was from Courtland.

_ Lonely. Come over._

He thought about just ignoring the message but something inside him convinced him to reply. This was exactly what he had described to Nessie, Courtland pulling on his heart strings just as he was starting to get over the last hump of depression. It was like she had a radar programed to ruin his life.

_ No. I'm sick of u just assuming that I'll always be around for u 2 screw over. I have new friends to keep me happy. Fuck off._

She never answered back, which he supposed was a good thing. But he couldn't help but feel bad. She never had had a lot of friends, leaving him to be the one person she could turn to. Who would help her now?

He had to repeat to himself that it wasn't his problem anymore for the rest of the evening. Never totally believing it.

* * *

><p>"Hey, I'm serious! Malachi thinks I should try, so I will." Nessie stood with her hands on her hips in front of Jake, who lay on her bed, laughing hysterically at the proposition of her joining Show Choir.<p>

Now that she had chosen him to be with, the tan boy didn't wince at the mention of the blonde baseball player. He wasn't totally comfortable with the guy, but it wasn't any of his business who Nessie was friends with. Calming his laughter to mild chuckles, Jake cleared his throat. "If you want to, then more power to you. But you won't even dance in front of me, what makes you think it'll be better in front of your entire school?"

Shrugging as she paced in front of the foot of her bed, Nessie contemplated if the decision was as good as Malachi seemed to think. Besides, three days didn't seem like enough time to learn a song and build her confidence enough to avoid chickening out.

"Babe, if this is what **you** want to do, then I'll be there for you all the way. Just don't do it to make someone else happy, do it for yourself." Jake sat up and pulled the thin girl onto the bed in front of him, taking her face between his large hands. "You'll make it in. I promise."

Lost in his dark eyes, Nessie leaned in close to his face. Closing her eyes slowly as if she was about to fall asleep, the young girl felt her lips reach his. She had no idea what to do after the initial contact, but Jacob wasn't going to leave her hanging.

His hands still cradling her face, the tan boy's fingers slipped to tangle in her curls. Obviously, taking it slow was killing her as much as it was him. Moving his mouth against hers, he let the young girl get used to the motions before pulling back.

Jake leaned his forehead against hers, staring into her eyes. "I know what song you need to audition with."

* * *

><p>"She, she ain't real,<br>She ain't gonna be able to love you like I will,  
>She is a stranger,<br>You and I have history,  
>Or don't you remember?<br>Sure, she's got it all,  
>But, baby, is that really what you want?<p>

Bless your soul, you've got your head in the clouds,  
>She made a fool out of you,<br>And, boy, she's bringing you down,  
>She made your heart melt,<br>But you're cold to the core,  
>Now rumour has it she ain't got your love anymore" The music cut off, leaving Courtland standing in the middle of the stage in silence. The auditorium erupted in applause and, even though it pained Nessie to admit it, it was genuine.<p>

The girl was talented. Evil, but talented. It was no wonder she was the star of every performance group. Nessie watched as other students came to the same conclusion as she had, their confidence disappearing. She heard a small, mousy girl whisper to her overly tall boyfriend that the most she hoped for was a background singer.

Fire building inside of Nessie, she wasn't going to let Courtland get her down like the rest of these kids. Sure, she wished her song choice was a bit different but there wasn't anything to be done about that now.

Her name was called as Courtland descended the stairs from the stage, a sickening smile spreading across her face. Malachi, who had been standing loyally beside Nessie through all of the auditions, squeezed her fingers before she started towards the stage.

As she reached the center of the stage, the spotlights shone in her eyes and she threw her arm across her face to look at the panel of teachers in front of her. "Renesmee Cullen? What will you be singing for us today?"

Watching Courtland and her friends gather behind the teachers, Nessie let out the breath she had been holding for who knows how long. "Someone Like You by Adele." A collective whisper broke out because of her song choice, everyone shocked that she was practically copying Courtland on accident.

Either ignoring the voices or not realizing they were there, the young, attractive man that had first spoken motioned for the music to begin. Nessie forced herself to relax, touching the microphone just before it was her time to shine.

"I heard that you're settled down,  
>That you found a girl and you're married now,<br>I heard that your dreams came true,  
>Guess she gave you things I didn't give to you." The words floated out of her mouth before she could think about doing well, filling the large room with a sound so angelic it almost hurt to hear it. It quickly became realized that she was just as good, if not better than, Courtland.<p>

Their voices contrasted in a way that the young teacher realized would make the most beautiful combination. Where Courtland's voice was raspy and soulful, Nessie's was high and pure. Ideas for magic moments such as this one, flowed freely through the man's head.

As Nessie continued to sing, she let her eyes fall anywhere but Courtland's face. She didn't want to see the glares that she was sure would burn her to a crisp before the song was over. Malachi sat in the back on the right side of the auditorium, his eyes not moving from the girl in the center of the stage.

Silently, the door leading into the auditorium opened to allow a grinning Jacob to enter the room. Eyes meeting his, Nessie powered through the highest part of the song with ease.

"Never mind, I'll find someone like you,  
>I wish nothing but the best for you too,<br>Don't forget me, I begged,  
>I remember you said,<br>'Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead,  
>Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead.'"<p>

Erupting in applause, the auditorium came alive. Not wanting to be like Courtland, Nessie immediately exited the stage and took her seat in the section of students waiting for the dance portion of the audition.

Not able to stop herself, she looked over her shoulder at the tan boy standing in the doorway. Clapping slowly along with the rest of the people in the auditorium, Jacob nodded his head towards her and left the room. Leaving her with the image of his white smile burning behind her eyelids.

Realizing it was okay for her to do so, Nessie mentally patted herself on the back. She was better than she thought, not to be cocky, but something told her this wouldn't be the only time that she gave Courtland a run for her money.

* * *

><p>Two pairs of blood red eyes scanned the clearing they had visited less than a decade before. Only this time, something was off. The vampire presence that had been there seven years ago no longer remained, now replaced with the smells of shape shifters.<p>

Baring her teeth in a snarl, Jane turned on her brother. "They aren't here, you idiot! Where could they have possibly gone with the child?"

"Maybe they relocated. There really isn't a need for you to turn my neck into your own personal stress ball." Alec pulled the small girl's fingers from his neck, stepping away from her the moment he was free. "It's just a minor setback, don't get so worked up."

Shaking with fury, the small girl stalked across the clearing and pulled an entire tree up by the roots, chucking it towards his head. It wasn't meant to hit him, just get some of her frustrations out, but it didn't seem to help much.

"I will find that little mistake if it's the last thing I do."

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><p><strong>Wow my fingers feel like they're going to fall off.. I wrote this in about four hours.. Hope you liked it! Review please!<strong>


	6. Chapter Six: Follow Me

**Hey everyone! Hope you all had a good New Years Eve and are ready for a whole new year of fun! I don't really think it's going to be that great of a year but let's stay positive! Anyway.. Hope you like the chapter. Review please! Oh wait, I was asked what bangs were. In America, where I live, bangs are the shortened hair close to your face... Just FYI! :)**

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><p><em><span>Chapter Six: Follow Me (Uncle Cracker)<span>_

Throwing a soda can towards the tall blonde sitting on her floor, Nessie flopped down on the fluffy bed that looked better and better the more they discussed their paper. She had finally sat down with both her father and grandfather the night before to get research on the lifestyle presented in the early twentieth century, quickly coming up with all the information needed to finish the paper.

Malachi had been more than happy that most of the work was already done, but she had to make up a quick lie about where she got the information. So in hindsight, she still had to do actual research in order to get the correct citations to keep Mrs. Halloway's suspicions to rest.

Quiet mumbles could be heard escaping Malachi's mouth as he lay on the floor, talking himself into a quiet slumber. Sleep sounded amazing to Nessie, they had been working for three hours without stopping and she could barely keep her eyes open. Just as dreams were knocking on the door to take over her brain, the door to her bedroom flung open.

"Hey, ba- Oh shit. My bad." Standing in the doorway awkwardly, Jake's eyes flickered between the two resting teens. Not sure of whether he should leave or not, he didn't move.

Smiling at the tall boy's obvious discomfort, Nessie waved him into the room, making room for him to sit beside her. "We're resting before jumping back into this stupid paper. What have you been up to?"

As she placed her hand on his leg, she forced images of the past three hours into his skin. The young girl wasn't quite sure why she felt compelled to explain herself to him, but something about the entire situation put her on edge. Jake hadn't officially asked her out, in fact the kiss had been the last time he had shown any interest, but she took his overly kind behavior towards her to mean they were past the friend stage.

Letting an innocent smile slide onto his face as he saw images flash behind his eyelids, Jake shrugged and let his large hand fall open between the two immortal creatures. "I actually just applied to get a job here in town. I figured I could use the responsibility and I need something to do while you're at school."

Surprised by the sudden change, Nessie perked up. "Really? That's really great! Where are you working?"

"It's one of the big car dealerships. They said that I could fix the jacked up cars customers bring in when I'm not out on the floor actually selling. I'll have to wear monkey suits but we all know how sexy I look in suits, so it's cool." A satisfied smirk spread across his face, widening when he lay eyes on the unhappy expression plastered to Malachi's face.

Throwing her arms around Jake's neck, Nessie couldn't help being excited at the news. "That's amazing, Jake! I'm really happy for you."

Malachi turned away from the display, a lump growing in his throat as he picked up on the vibes flowing from the two beautiful people sitting on the bed. He wasn't surprised that Nessie had figured out that she wanted Jake instead of himself, but that didn't take the pain away. It didn't help that when he got the guts to look away from the spot on the carpet he had been staring at, the tan boy was smirking triumphantly down at him.

A sudden urge to punch the Native American in the face surged through the blonde. He couldn't take it anymore. Getting to his feet, he reached for his backpack which caught Nessie's attention. "Where are you going?"

"I told my mom that I'd be home for dinner. Do you think that Emmett will give me a ride?" He had grown considerably fond of Emmett since he had first visited the Cullen house and Emmett felt the same for the younger boy. Not waiting for a response, Malachi left the room and tried to push away the depressive feelings creeping up inside of him.

Nessie wasn't stupid. She could see every thought that passed through her friend's head and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't think of a way to fix it. Having no experience in balancing friendships, much less relationships, the young girl just let herself ignore the guilt flowing through her.

Leaning against Jake's chest, she closed her eyes. The tall boy leaned down to whisper in her ear. "There's someone out there for him. Just like you were there for me when I thought I loved Bella."

It was so easy to believe that, but what if he was wrong? Or what if Malachi never met that person that could make him happier than she ever could? A frightening thought popped into her mind, causing her to physically cringe. What if that person was Courtland?

"I just hope that person is the right one." She whispered, more to herself that anything.

* * *

><p>Shoving the nerdy teenager up against the stone wall, Jane hissed in the boys face. "Do I need to repeat myself, weakling? Where are the Cullens?"<p>

Alec stood behind his sister, the only sympathetic movement in his face was the slight crinkling of his eyes when the skull of the high school student was slammed against the wall as he tested Jane's patience. Once the teenager began to cry shamelessly, the vampire couldn't take it anymore. "Enough, sister. If the boy cannot answer our questions, then we must move on."

This didn't seem to please his fellow vampire, for she dropped the boy and turned on her slightly taller brother. "What do you suppose we do then, Alec? Aro will not be pleased if we show up without at least discussing the option with the girl. I will not fail."

A meek voice interrupted the pair, "The Quileute Indians are just up the road. The teenagers were always around the Cullens. You might as them."

Jane's scowl transformed into an eery, pleased smile. She should have known that the shape-shifters would know where the large family was. "Let's pay them a little visit then, shall we?"

* * *

><p>A light drizzle fell through the cover of the thick forest as the young half-breed ran after the deer that she had been tracking for the past ten minutes. She had managed to get out of joining Jake and Alice in their shopping spree for nice suits that he could wear to work. The tall boy wasn't happy that he was being forced into shopping, he had said he would rather shoot his own foot repeatedly, but he didn't turn down the offer.<p>

Realizing that the deer was slowing considerably, Nessie took the opportunity for all it was worth. Moving her feet to meet the bark of the large tree beside her, the young predator pushed off of the wood and tackled the animal. It almost sickened her to listen to the sounds of her teeth sink into the meaty flesh, but she pushed the nausea away as she drank the red liquid that had, moments before, been flowing through the mammal's veins.

When she had all but drained the blood out of the animal, the young girl dug her hands into the dirt beside it's body and parted the earth. It had become routine for her to make what could be considered a "grave" for every prey she killed in the process of staying alive. Like her father before her, Renesmee hated the lack of humility that was associated with their kind. Although it didn't fix what they were, she felt that giving the deer a semi-proper burial would help her sleep a little better at night.

Nessie, her thirst quenched enough to get her through the weekend, left the out-of-place lump of dirt to walk further into the woods. Never having been this far into the thick trees, she let her senses open up to take in her surroundings fully.

The air grew damper as she walked, a faint sound of running water pushed her to pick up her pace. Flipping through the songs on her iPod, she let her heavy tennis shoes drag through the dirt. Soft music played through her headphones as she emerged from the thick trees, finding herself standing on the edge of a crystal clear stream.

Watching as the water twisted in and out of the trees, an overwhelming feeling of peace filled Nessie. She didn't hesitate to sit on the edge of the water, her fingers dipping in and out of the quietly flowing liquid.

"Gorgeous." The young vampire whispered, realizing that this was forever her sacred place.

* * *

><p>Edward Cullen sat, frozen, as he awaited the back door to open and his daughter to enter the house. If he had to deal with the issue of breathing, it would have been difficult at this moment. The growing relationship between his daughter and the much older, aggressive werewolf concerned him beyond belief.<p>

When he had brought his worries to his wife, she had gone off about trust issues. But Bella had quickly changed her tune when Edward had told her about the sexual tension that he could feel radiating off of Jacob.

The pair had decided that it was definitely time to have that horrible talk that could only lead to embarrassment and tears. Not sure how to handle the situation, Bella had suggested getting advice from Carlisle but he proved to be less helpful than they had hoped.

"I think that you should just sit down with Renesmee and express your concerns. She's mentally old enough to handle the subject, I'm sure." He had seemed so sure of the idea that Bella didn't think twice about agreeing. But his next comment made Edward's head spin. "You should be the one to speak to her Edward. Though it is true that it would traditionally be the woman reaching out to her daughter, I feel as though the close relationship between father and daughter might be more comforting at this time."

So there Edward sat, his legs tensed as if he might bolt from the room at any moment. Clenching his jaw repeatedly, the pale man let his long fingers twist together to let out the tension building inside him. When the back door finally slid open, he thought he might puke.

Unknowingly, Nessie entered the deserted living room, dropping her oversized purse on the ground. "Hey, Dad. Where is everyone?" She could sense that the entire house was empty, sending alarm bells off in her head.

"Hunting." Edward forced himself to relax, reading the confused thoughts track through his daughter's head. "We haven't been able to spend time together since you started school. I miss being able to talk to you."

Her glossy lips spreading into a genuine smile, Nessie crossed the room to sit on her father's leg like she had done when she was a child. Her arms wrapped around his cold neck, the young girl pressed her warm lips to the older vampire's cheek. "I'm always around, Dad. You act like I'm never home."

Smiling sadly, he moved her from his lap to cross the room to the piano that they had played together many times. Taking his place on the bench, he waited for the bronze haired beauty to join him. Love for his baby coursed through him as their fingers glided over the keys together, his worry over losing her growing larger by the moment.

As the music slowed to a complete end, Edward turned to look at the small face that mirrored his. "How is Show Choir going?"

Nessie's face lit up at the thought of her new passion. "We've only practiced a few times, but it's a lot of fun. The first concert is next month. You're coming right?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." His reassuring smile faltered, reminding him of what his task was for the moment. "What about Jacob? How is your new found relationship with him going?"

The warning bells sounded louder than ever in the young girl's head. Edward could see walls fly up around her innermost thoughts as she realized his intentions hadn't been to play the piano together. "It's going fine. I'm happy that he finally told me the truth."

Nodding thoughtfully, the bronze haired man just gave up on trying to think of ways to ease into the subject. "Your mother and I are worried, Renesmee. It's not that we don't trust you, but Jacob is a lot older than you are and-"

"Oh my god. You have got to be kidding!" Nessie stood up so quickly that she would have knocked over the piano bench if her father hadn't been sitting on it. "Here, let me do this for you. 'When a Mommy and Daddy love each other very much'... I know what sex is so just- don't."

Not sure whether to be mortified or relieved, Edward let out a tense laugh. "I just felt like it needed to be brought up before you did something stupid. When I first started dating Bella, I-"

Squealing loudly to cut him off, the young girl flung her hands over her ears. "Too much information! Congratulations, you've managed to scare me out of sex forever." She turned to run up the stairs to her room, her hands never leaving her ears for fear he'd continue his story.

Edward let out a long breath as he flopped back onto the bench. Just as his head was beginning to stop spinning, Emmett and Bella entered the living room. One look at the pale man's face sent Emmett off into a fury of obnoxious laughter.

Squatting down beside her husband, Bella forced away the amused smile threatening to creep up. "Edward? What happened?"

"I think it worked. She said she never wants to have sex because I started in about how-" A loud squeal thundered from upstairs, cutting him off from continuing yet again. Finally letting himself realize the hilarity of the situation, Edward started to laugh along with his adopted brother. "She won't be having sex anytime soon. That I'm sure of."

Mission Scare Renesmee Out of Sex: Successful

* * *

><p>Glistening skin flashed as the spinning bodies broke off into subgroups of dances, the stage a blurry image of sweat covered teens. As the music came to a sudden stop, Courtland hit the mark she had been waiting for, catapulting her body upwards into a dramatic leap.<p>

As her knees hit the floor and her upper body flung back against the stage, applause erupted from the front of the stage. Mr. McNeely, the young teacher that had been running the Show Choir auditions, asked the students on the stage to sit towards the front of the stage.

"That was really great, guys. I'm very happy with how that routine came out, but I do have some things that should be tweaked. Courtland, the ending was amazing. Very intense. But when it gets to the jump, I think that you should drop the singing momentarily. It became very off-pitch and breathy." The instructor waited for Courtland to nod at the instructions before moving to criticize the next performer.

Standing behind the group of exhausted students, Nessie praised herself for the intelligent choice of wearing a sports bra and small shorts to practice on that particular day. Mr. McNeely's wife was an extremely skilled dancer that had attended Julliard before meeting her husband and moving to this small town. She had decided to help him in his efforts to make the Show Choir something to be proud of and was now choreographing their dance numbers.

As Nessie waited for her part in the dance to be criticized, she jogged in place so she wouldn't lose the energy that had built up inside her. Never having danced so seriously before, the young girl was pleased to find that not only was she enjoying it, but it came rather naturally to her.

She wasn't aware of the way that Courtland was glaring at her, unhappy at being unknowingly schooled by her enemy, or how Mrs. McNeely was eyes the intense interest that the girl had in dancing. A thought blossomed in the young woman and she whispered quietly into her husband's ear, never taking her eyes from the bronze haired girl bouncing up and down on the stage.

Nodding his head in agreement with his wife, the man cleared his throat. "Renesmee, you did great. It was very magical and enjoyable to watch. The only thing I can really say is to be more aware of the way you land after your slow motion jump."

It was an understatement to say that the young girl was pleased, her entire face glowed at the compliment. Giving a double thumbs up to the teacher, she waited for him to move on to the next student. Instead, his wife stepped close to the stage to look Nessie in the eyes.

"Watching you has made me see that you have a plethora of potential. I would really love it if you would consider helping me with choreography." Her voice was soft and smooth, contrasting the strongly exited look in her eyes.

Not even skipping a beat to think, Nessie grinned wildly. "Absolutely."

* * *

><p>Following the two girls as they wound through the mob of teenagers occupying the Portland mall, Jake only kept himself occupied enough to stay sane by watching the subtle sway of Nessie's hips. As he realized what he was doing, he cleared his throat and looked away. If Edward had been there, he would be through the glass paneling of the nearest storefront.<p>

When had his thoughts of the girl turned so vulgar? He had been so focused on what it would be like for her to know that he loved her that the boy never stopped to think about the physically excited things that could enter his brain. Just as his eyes started to travel downwards yet again, Alice let out a gasp as they came upon her favorite store.

Stuttering as he backed away from the entrance, Jake hissed towards the entrance to, of course, Victoria's Secret. Nessie noticed this, humor playing across her soft features. "You coming in?"

"Fuck no. I'll be here." He pointed towards a bench diagonal to the entrance and quickly sat down. To his surprise, Nessie didn't follow her aunt into the store, instead sitting beside him on the light colored bench.

Laying her head on his shoulder, the young girl snuggled into his chest. The musky scent of his skin was intoxicating, bringing her to breathe it in deeply. Groups of all aged humans flowed past them, most staring secretly at the beautiful couple.

Nessie wasn't sure if they could be considered a couple just yet. They had only skirted around the idea of dating, neither really sure how far the other was ready to take the relationship. For the most part, everything had gone back to normal after the kiss, even the constant teasing between them remained.

Seeming to hear the young girl's thoughts, Jake shifted his weight before clearing his throat to speak. "So do you have any plans for this Saturday?"

This was it. The moment of truth that would determine the course they would take. Luckily, Nessie caught on to the hidden message behind the question. "Something with you, I think. Always with you."

A dazzling smile sprung onto the Indian's face, "That's all I can ask for."

* * *

><p>An eerie silence filled the woods surrounding the large home, only broken by the low chuckle slipping from Jane's lips as she realized that they had found the object of their desire. As far as she could tell, there was no one in the home but the strange smell of foreign vampires would surely alert the Cullen's.<p>

Turning on her heel, Jane flew the woods to where her brother perched on the edge of a dead Oak tree. He looked up at her approach, immediately aware that she had found what she had been looking for. "Now what do we do?"

"We wait."

* * *

><p><strong>Oh jeez, guys.. This took so long for me to write because of school starting back up.. But I finally posted! Which is good. I'll get back in the swing of posting regularly now. Sorry if it takes longer, classes take up a TON of my time. Anyway, hope you liked it! Leave me reviews please! <strong>


	7. Chapter Seven: Radio

**Hey you! Not much to say so... Please leave reviews! Love you guys!**

* * *

><p><em><span>Chapter Seven: Radio (Hot Chelle Rae)<span>_

"Oh no, you don't." Grabbing onto her niece's forearm, the pixie drug her away from the staircase she had previously been trying to escape down. The older vampire's special gift never failed to ruin Nessie's semi-thoughtful plans to avoid embarrassment. Like so many times before, Alice pulled the young half-breed into her giant bathroom to be operated on.

Giving up on the hopes of escaping the clutches of her fashion forward aunt, Nessie settled into the fluffy chair she had been provided with and tried to sleep.

But even that wasn't going to be allowed by Alice, for she was soon chattering away. "Where is he taking you? Or is it a surprise? I always love it when Jasper tries to keep our dates a secret, because I can see his ideas before he even does. You're skin is so radiant. I'm going to make you look flawless, my dear. Not that you aren't already, but Jacob isn't going to be able to keep his hands off you.

"Oh wait, that's not a good idea. Edward will kill me. I'm thinking that I should put you in a ballgown- No, that's too formal for a high school date. Not that Jacob is in high school but..."

Managing to tune out the high pitched, one-sided conversation, Nessie let her mind wonder. She couldn't help but feel nervous about the evening with Jake, even though they had been alone together many times before. But this was a whole other type of alone, leaving her heart fluttering and her entire body tingling.

As the hour passed by painful and slow, the young girl was transformed into a model that had walked straight out of a magazine. Her thick, bronze hair was twisted in loose curls that flowed away from a face of perfection, her bangs pinned to the top of her head so as to not distract from the beautiful makeup work that Alice had slaved over.

Sparkling, doe eyes were thickly lined with black, her dark lashes casting shadows across the smooth surface of her rosy cheeks. Having opted out of dramatic eye makeup, the older vampire had taken the liberty of swiping the brightest shade of lipstick she owned across the girls plump lips. Her dark brows raised in shock at the transformation that created a wonderful portrayal of the mystical being she secretly lived as.

Pulled to her feet, Nessie was quickly stripped of the sweatpants she had been sporting throughout the day and was stuffed into an entirely new wardrobe. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she was sure that her father would not be happy with his sister's choice of outfit.

Soft, black fabric hugged her curves in ways that it probably shouldn't, only covering her from the bottom of her collar bone to the midway point of her creamy white thighs. Her graceful feet were, much to her dismay, kept from the safety of the carpeted floor by four inch, red stilettos.

Alice seemed to glow with pride at the sight of her work, waiting for her niece to gush over herself as she rightfully should. When the girl just stood, teetering on the stilts she had been tricked into, the older vampire huffed. "What do you think?"

"Dad's going to flip."

* * *

><p>Touching her husband's arm sympathetically, Bella perched on the armrest of the couch the three male vampires had inhabited an hour before. While Emmett and Jasper had been making teasing comments over what form of torture Alice was currently inflicting on the youngest of the Cullen clan, Edward had sat in silence. His thin fingers twined together in anticipation, the pale man hunched forward with his elbows resting on his knees and stared at the floor directly in front of him, forcing himself to still completely.<p>

"It's not going to be that bad. They're just going to dinner and a movie. I don't think that that's any reason to get so upset." Bella's smooth voice was dropped low so as to not intrude on her husband's obvious comatose.

Snickers erupted from the large vampire on the other end of the couch, "Gee, Jasper. I really love movies, don't you? All that darkness and privacy... Sometimes I take Rose to the movies just to add excitement to our se-"

His comment was cut short by the large man being thrown across the room and through the wall leading into the dining room. Every vampire in the room turned to look at the culprit of such violence, but Edward was sitting exactly as he was before. The only hint of guilt on his stony face was a small smirk playing on the edge of his thin lips. That would surely shut his brother up for the time being.

Reaching his feet quickly, Emmett flexed his arms threateningly before returning to his spot on the couch as if nothing had happened. Not able to keep a smile off of her face, Bella leaned down to kiss her husband's lips in order to avoid bursting out in unnecessary laughter.

"I swear, Alice better watch it. I'm not about to let my daughter out of this house in anything less than an astronaut suit." Edward muttered just as he heard the commotion of dressing stop above him.

* * *

><p>It seemed that the young girl had been more keen to her father's opinion than one would think. She had barely descended the stairs enough to be seen by the patiently awaiting family when a low growl sounded from Edward's throat. "I don't think so."<p>

Mumbling her gratitude to the ceiling, for she was not excited about the evening's shoe choice in particular, Nessie turned to return to the second floor of the room in order to change. But she wasn't nearly that lucky. Alice drug her along as she bounced down the stairs, getting close to tipping the young girl over in the process.

"Be quiet, Edward. She looks gorgeous and you know it." The pixie took Nessie's hand and spun her in a circle, grinning as she watched the family's reactions.

Shaking his head vigorously, the young girl's father was on his feet and gripping her by the elbow before she could blink. "This isn't appropriate. I'm not about to let you-"

The front door swung open, banging loudly against the wall in the foyer as Jacob entered the tense atmosphere of the home. "Is she ready yet? I don't want to wait for-" Stopping in the doorway to the brightly lit family room, the tall boy let his eyes fall on the glowing figure watching him shyly from across the room. "Holy shit."

Not knowing what to expect, Jake had entered the familiar house with an open mind but the beautiful creature that he had watched grow up was too stunning for words. Neither of the teenagers turning their gaze from each other, they weren't aware of the unhappy expression playing across Edward's face.

"Watch your thoughts, Jacob. I can quickly end this date before it even starts." Only the cool grip of Bella's fingers on his forearm kept the vampire from snapping the wolf's neck on impulse.

Suddenly pulled back to reality, Nessie let a mocking grin slip onto her face. "What's so wrong about my outfit, dad? I'd be glad to change whatever needs fixed."

Red flags flew up in the pale man's mind, lacing his words with anxiety. "To begin with, I don't like the shoes. A girl your age shouldn't be wearing heels that high. And that lipstick is too- red, I suppose."

This somehow managed to make the young girl laugh, her startling white teeth flashing in the light. "You'll survive. Can I please just go, Mom?"

Edward almost screamed when Bella nodded, stepping forward to kiss both her daughter and her best friend on the cheek before returning to her husband's side. "Behave. Both of you. I expect her home by eleven, Jake."

"No problem, boss." Saluting the brunette exaggeratedly, Jake held out his arm for his date to take. "Shall we?"

* * *

><p>Laughter swallowed Nessie in the darkness of the movie theater, the crowd around her oblivious to anything other than the moving picture in front of them. It was hard for the bronze haired beauty to pay attention to anything other than the musky smell surrounding her in a cocoon of safety.<p>

Upholding his position of the suave man that could steal any young girl's heart, Jacob sat comfortably in his seat, watching the movie with a fake intensity that had Nessie fooled. Whenever he sensed her embarrassment take over and force her to turn away from staring at him, he would sneak a peek at her gorgeous face.

Her body angled away from him so as to not send signals of desperation, the young half-breed crossed her arms as she forced herself to pay attention to the plot of the romantic comedy she had stupidly chosen. As she watched the stuck up rich boy on the screen finally break down and kiss the extremely lucky, yet somehow unfortunate girl, Nessie caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of her eye. Jacob had shifted his body towards her, his arm wrapping around her shoulders and his eyes still on the side of her face.

Turning to look at him, she was surprised by the hungry look present in his eyes. Without warning, his lips were on hers, creating a furnace of heat around the pair. It seemed like it had been years since she had last pulled air into her lungs, but that didn't keep the girl from pushing against him to deepen the kiss.

When they finally pulled away neither were breathing normally, creating a somewhat loud commotion of inhales, but they didn't care about the opinions surrounding them. The tan boy let his forehead fall against hers like he had done since she was a child, his eyes portraying the ultimate feeling of love.

It was almost too much to handle, but Nessie let herself bask in the feeling, hoping that it would never go away.

* * *

><p>"What are we doing?" Climbing out of the car, Nessie watched as Jacob walked backwards as he headed towards a patch of darkness that she couldn't recognize from her brief tour of the town.<p>

Laughing quietly, the tall boy stuffed his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "I guess you'll just have to follow me." With that, he disappeared into the darkness, leaving the bewildered girl alone in the deserted parking lot.

Mumbling curses to the night air, Nessie kicked the heels off her feet and sprinted into the woods after him. Had she not been a half-breed it would have been difficult for her to maneuver through the dark woods, but she slipped past spiked branches with ease.

When she finally found Jacob, he was leaning nonchalantly against a lonely swing set, nestled into the woods that had grown to cut the metal contraption off from the rest of the downtown playground. An amused smile creeping onto her face, the young girl crossed the clearing to stand inches in front of the object of her desire.

"A playground? Haven't we established that I'm no longer a child? Or do you just get some sick satisfaction out of kissing seven year old's?" Her brown eyes sparkling in the warm glow of the moonlight, Nessie didn't shy away from the dark boy's heated gaze.

Allowing himself to chuckle softly at the joke, Jacob reached out to take the young girl's small hand. "I don't want to rush this. It should be drawn out, sweet. Forever is enough time for us both to grow up, so why start now?"

Before she could form the correct words to reply, he had already pulled her towards the swing set, gently forcing her to sit on the cold plastic. Stepping up behind her, Jacob let his stomach rest against her back as he whispered to the night sky. "I almost killed you, you know. After you were born, all I could think was that you were the reason Bella was in so much pain. If it hadn't been for you, I may have been able to save her. To change her mind."

Feeling Nessie stiffen at his choice of topic, the tall boy pushed to finish what he had been trying to say. "Then I saw your face and it was as if my world collapsed. You were, are, the only thing keeping me on this earth. I love you too much for words to express."

The last words mumbled from his lips faded off as he gently pushed the swing away from his body. As Nessie listened to the man of her dreams express his love for her, tears threatened to flow down her cheeks. How was it that she had been so oblivious to everything Jake had felt for her? Even thinking about the brief interest in Malachi sickened her beyond words, not because he was sickening, but because Jake had proved time and time again that he was her other half.

Whispering to the night sky, Nessie let herself close her eyes the heightening sway of the swing. "I love you too, Jake. And I will find a way to make you know how much."

As a cold wind blew through the trees, the tan boy's last words were lost in the darkness. "You show me every day."

* * *

><p>Climbing out of the backseat of the black Escalade, Jake tried to keep his legs from shaking. "I really don't understand why I have to be here for this."<p>

Edward and Nessie slipped gracefully out of the car, their expressions polar opposites. An excited grin was plastered to the young girl's face, contrasting her father's look of horror that mirrored Jacob's. A plastic trash bag blew across the deserted parking lot, only adding to the bad feeling growing inside of Jacob.

Twining her arm with Jacob's, the young girl bit her lip to hide her amusement. "You agreed to come, Jake. It's not like I'm going to kill us."

"Debatable." The tan boy mumbled, opening the door to the stone building for the two vampires.

Cool air flowed throughout the cream colored lobby, the air conditioner pumping away as if it was July instead of the end of September. A thin, older man sat behind a polished desk, only looking up when Edward stood directly in front of him.

Slowly shutting his book and setting it to the side, the man smirked at the three outsiders. "May I help you?"

The nasal tone to his voice gave Jacob the sudden urge to punch something, his sarcastic word choice only pushing the werewolf closer to the edge. As if she could sense this, Nessie reached out to touch the older boy's arm and pushed pictures of his own smiling face into his thoughts.

"My sister, Renesmee, needs to get her permit."

* * *

><p>Reaching out to grab the car keys dangling from her father's fingers, Nessie groaned as he pulled them away quickly. The pale man merely smiled, amused. "First thing you need to understand is that when you climb into that seat, you are not only holding your own life in your hands, but the lives of others."<p>

A snicker sounded from Jacob, who was leaning against the black vehicle with his arms crossed. "She's a half vampire that goes to school everyday with hundreds of blood filled humans. This isn't exactly the first time she's had control over others' lives."

Snarling back at the wolf, Edward turned back to stare deeply into Nessie's eyes. "You have to be one step ahead of everyone else out on the road, because drivers are idiots in most cases. Other than that, just stay calm and I'll help you through it." Tossing the keys to the grinning girl, he climbed into the passenger seat of the vehicle.

"You'll do fine. I have faith in you." Stepping close to Nessie, he lent down to kiss her soft lips. It was more reassurance for himself than for her though.

Nessie took her seat in the front of the giant, black monster, sighing softly before starting the engine. Looking towards her father for the nod of assurance, the fifteen year old jolted the car forward and came close to hitting the only other car in the parking lot.

Cursing under his breath the whole way, Jacob's grip left finger prints in the seats as Nessie drove recklessly all the way home. "I'm never doing that again!" He exclaimed as they pulled into the circular driveway, stumbling out of the car to puke at the base of a tree on the edge of the forest.

Looking towards her father, Nessie grimaced. "Was I really that bad?"

* * *

><p>"Tighter. Tighter. Keep the rhythm." Tanya McNeely circled the spinning girl in the middle of the dance studio, clapping to the beat of the pop song blasting through the large, black speakers mounted on the wall. Her husband had set up a personal studio in what would have been their second garage, providing the thin woman with a secret place to express herself.<p>

But Tanya had decided to share her stage with Nessie, quickly pushing her farther in her dancing abilities than the young girl had thought was possible. She barked criticisms as the girl finished the dance, collapsing to the ground in a puddle of well earned sweat.

How was it that this girl, who two weeks ago had never danced before in her life, was now better than any high school student Tanya had ever seen? Tossing the huffing dancer a warm water bottle, the young woman joined her on the floor.

"Warm water is easier to drink, I find. I survived college on warm water and grilled chicken." Chuckling to herself, Tanya let her eyes sweep over Nessie's lean body. It was as if the fifteen year old had been made to be a dancer.

Thin, yet strong, muscles flexed under smooth skin that seemed to welcome the sweat produced by the ridiculous routine. Her small feet carried her across the floor in graceful strides that Tanya had only gained through hours of concentration. Even her height, putting her at five feet and seven inches, added to the intrigue produced by the young girl.

Nodding silently as she drank the water, Nessie shook her straightened hair away from her face. "I think that my turns could be cleaner, but the leap is fairly perfect as far as I can tell."

"You know, Renesmee, I think you were made for this." A disbelieving look flashed across the young girl's face, immediately removed by Tanya's next comment. "I really think that you should consider applying to Julliard when you turn eighteen. It'd take a lot of extra time, but you could be a really successful dancer."

It would be a lie to say that Nessie hadn't thought about the possibility of following in the woman's footsteps, but it didn't seem possible. Taking another swig of her water, the muscular girl slipped to her feet. "Again."

Courtland burst from the doors of the high school only to find that her ride had yet to arrive. She had been forced to stay after school for a detention that she had definitely no deserved. Leaning against the brick wall of the looming institution, the blonde closed her eyes off to the sparkling sun above her.

A sudden presence beside her jolted Courtland to attention. She almost screamed as her wide eyes met blood red ones. "What the hell?"

"Renesmee Cullen. Have you seen her?" Jane hissed loudly, resisting the urge to torture the girl with her special 'gift' in order to gain the information she was seeking.

Scoffing at the mention of the annoyingly popular girl, Courtland rolled her eyes. "She's not here. She only stays after school on Tuesdays to tutor stupid people."

Bloody eyes gleaming at the information, Jane flashed her teeth in something that slightly resembled a smile. "You have been most helpful."

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><p><strong>WOW. This took a lot longer to put up than I wanted to have it... Hopefully after this month, I'll be able to post a lot more. :P Anyway, review please! Love you guys!<strong>


	8. Chapter Eight: I Just Wanna Run

**Hey guys! If you haven't noticed already, I've been trying to post on this story every other Sunday. I think it's working pretty well and it's allowing me to write longer, in-depth chapters. So... I hope you like it! Let me know in reviews!**

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><p><em><span>Chapter Eight: I Just Wanna Run (The Downtown Fiction)<span>_

Leaning against the wall leading into the cafeteria, Nessie crossed her arms as she waited for Malachi to join her for lunch. His tall form came bounding around the corner, slamming into her thin body and sending her sprawling across the floor. Students surrounding them refrained from giggling, well aware of the rage that could erupt from the tall girl.

Eyes bulging out of his head, Malachi leaned down to help her up off of the floor. "My bad. I needed to tell you that-"

"Hey, Cullen!" Courtland descended the stairs leading to the newer section of the high school that contained the cafeteria. The blonde's exposed, tan legs pumped quickly to carry her towards the pair, her eyes meeting Nessie's. "I need to talk to you. Alone."

With that, she turned on her heel to retreat through the glass doors leading towards the main building of the school. Nessie locked eyes with Malachi, "The bitch beckons."

Courtland came to a stop in an abandoned classroom, yanking the half-breed inside before she was seen. Once both girls were safely inside the room, the blond locked the door and switched on the lights. "I've made it pretty obvious that I hate you, but I can tell when something is weird."

This confused Nessie, but before she had a chance to ask what was going on, Courtland was continuing. "I was waiting for a ride yesterday and some chick with freaky eyes showed up, asking for you. I even have freaking bruises from where she grabbed me." Pulling the loose shoulder of her shirt down, the blonde let the fluorescent light hit the dark purple marks. "Whatever she wanted you for, it didn't seem good."

Chocolate brown eyes glued to the dark marks, Nessie felt her breathing quicken. "What did you mean by freaky eyes?"

"They were bright red, like blood. That's not even the strangest part." The blonde whispered quietly, her eyes searching Nessie's for answers. "She looked like she could belong to your family. It was freaky. I didn't tell anyone that she talked to me, but you really need to..."

But the words didn't register with the half-breed anymore, an eery buzzing filled her ears. It wasn't hard to make the connection that it had been a vampire that was looking for her, but who? Memories of other clans filled her head, yet she pushed the thoughts away. Courtland had seemed genuinely scared, and although the blonde would be frightened by the mere thought of vampires, it took it to another level.

Blood red eyes. A single image flashed behind Nessie's closed eyelids, creating a wave of nausea within her. What could Jane from the Volturi possibly want from her?

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><p>Playing with her thin fingers, Jake hummed softly in Nessie's ear. They were cuddled in the center of her large bed, extremely aware of each movement that the other made. Edward had thrown a fit about the physical contact between the pair, coming up with a list of rules they had to follow in order for Jacob to live. One of which was leaving the door open, leaving even less privacy than they had before.<p>

Nessie refrained from complaining however, already hesitant when the idea of physical attraction to the tall boy entered her mind. It wasn't quite clear to anyone, including herself, how she truly felt about Jacob. Although she was sure that their love was mutual, their entire relationship had developed rather quickly.

Broken from her thoughts by the clearing of Jake's throat, Nessie sat her chin on his chest to look at him. Dark eyes meeting, the werewolf held her hesitant gaze with confidence. "Is something wrong? You've been acting off all afternoon."

With Edward safely miles away, hunting across the Oregon border, the young girl let her thoughts turn to the information Courtland had given her earlier that day. She had chosen quickly to keep the vampire appearance to herself, simply waiting for the opportunity to be found by Jane. Somehow, she didn't feel like sitting prey, waiting to be hunted, but she definitely did not have the upper hand in the situation.

It hadn't been hard to keep her mind on trivial things when confronted by her father in their daily "talk". Over the years, Nessie had taught herself to block the important things from her intrusive father, keeping the pale man from many possible heart attacks. Yet the swirling depths of Jacob's caring eyes fought to intrude on the secret.

"Just- Show Choir is super exhausting. And I haven't felt up to hunting in a few days, so I guess my whole life is just off at the moment. It'll all even out eventually though." Smiling with the last words, Nessie pressed her lips to his in an attempt to distract him. Resorting to this type of distraction wasn't the highest point in the young girl's life, but it seemed important that she keep Jane's appearance to herself.

However, Jake wasn't an idiot by any means and he could definitely tell when the fifteen year old was lying. Cocking an eyebrow at his girlfriend's sudden interest in making out, he rolled to where he was hovering about her thin body. As if testing how far she was willing to take the lie, he let his lips leave hers to trail down her neck.

A soft moan escaped Nessie's parted lips, driving him to push her farther. Just as his teeth caught the bottom of her earlobe, Bella knocked on the doorjamb. Smirking at the obvious discomfort on her daughter's face, the pale woman raised her eyebrows. "Is it too much to ask that you wait until everyone is out of the house?"

"Sorry, Bells." Jake smirked back, rolling off of Nessie's small form. "I need to get going. We'll talk later."

Leaning down to kiss the young girl's cheek quickly, Jake disappeared from the room in the blink of an eye. Bella crossed her arms across her chest, tapping her foot impatiently as she stared down at the daughter from the foot of the bed. "Anything to say, Renesmee?"

Smirking sarcastically, Nessie sat up. "Sorry, mother. Next time I won't get caught."

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><p>"Can I get you something to drink?" Tanya asked over her shoulder as she led the three pale adults through her glamorous home, coming to a stop in a large, formal living room. After Carlisle had denied the need for beverages, he took a seat next to Edward and Bella on the couch.<p>

Mr. McNeely, who had quickly been introduced as Brian, sat with his wife in the love seat across from the small group of vampires. Leaning forward to speak to Carlisle, who he assumed to be Renesmee's father, the young teacher smiled kindly at Bella. "It was brought to my attention that Tanya and Nessie had discussed the possibility of taking her talents in dance to another level. After we began to talk about it, I thought it would be a good time to speak to her parents rather than her alone."

Smiling to himself, Edward met Carlisle's amused gaze. Although they had made the plan long ago that the older vampire would act as Renesmee's father, rather than deal with the complications of creating a lie in order to keep suspicions off of the young couple, it was entertaining to be in a secret loop of information. Nodding at his "father", Edward let the blonde vampire speak to Brian McNeely.

Corners of his eyes crinkling as he smiled, Carlisle nodded thoughtfully. "My daughter has yet to bring her desires to my attention, though I'm sure it is fast in coming. I would imagine, if you have taken an interest in her abilities, then she must be something special. Our family is looking forward to the chance to see our young Renesmee fulfill her dreams, whatever they may be.

"However, you would understand our concerns of making any quick decisions for a child her age. If she happens to stay out of the normal trends of teenagers, then it will be lovely to support her through this decision."

Leaning back, Brian let his arm fall across his wife's shoulders as if to portray the accomplishment of delivering the message he had set out to. "Of course, that is something that would have to be discussed with Renesmee. My wife and I just thought the idea should be brought to your attention in order for everyone to know their positions in her future."

Tanya cleared her throat softly, looking Bella straight in the face as she spoke, as if she knew that the young woman was an important factor of Nessie's future. "Once you see the way she dances, you'll understand my insistence. The way she carries herself- I've never seen a young lady of her age able to do the things she can. Even women who have been in the profession for years aren't as gracefully balanced as she is."

"I can only imagine how exciting that must be in a student." Bella stated softly, squeezing Edward's hand as she continued. "Renesmee has, what we would consider, the best support system she could have. Whatever dreams she would like to pursue, I personally will back her on."

Soon after, the small group of vampires were leaving the young couple's home, climbing into the black Escalade. Neither Edward nor Bella spoke once inside the vehicle, both waiting for Carlisle to express the concern that he had been toying with over the last twenty minutes.

They were almost home when the older vampire finally spoke, "Initially, it is your choice as to what Renesmee will be allowed to do. I am merely the parent in the public eye. But I will say that her particular- diet, might play a large part in the rough adjustment of going to college in a city that large."

Not having thought of the issue before, Bella was silent for a long time before speaking. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. All I want is for her to be happy."

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><p>Emerging from her bathroom in a cloud of shower steam, Nessie entered her bedroom with a towel clutched around her thin body. Just as she moved to kick the door shut, two tan forms shoved into the room, knocking her backwards onto her bed. The half-breed found herself pinned under two of her beloved werewolves, but her excitement was squashed as she realized her lack of clothing.<p>

"What the- Paul, Seth, get out!" She scrambled to keep the absorbent cloth tucked around her, swiftly shoving the giggling teenage boys out of her room. On the other side of the door she could hear Edward threatening lives and Jake snickering at the older man's obvious discomfort. It didn't take long for Nessie to throw on clothes, emerging from her bedroom in order to tackle the two boys.

Grinning from ear to ear, Seth enveloped the thin girl in his long arms. "Surprise! Paul and I were bored, so we decided to come visit our favorite leeches." As soon as the youngest werewolf pulled back from Nessie, she was swallowed by Paul's strong body.

Soon Jake and his two friends were lounging across Nessie's bed, chattering as she swiped makeup across her already flawless face. Catching eyes with Jake as she slid lip gloss across her lips, the young girl smiled shyly before looking away. This didn't get past Paul, "So it's true. You guys aren't banging yet are you?"

Nessie was turning to tackle the tall boy when a soft knock sounded on her door, opening to reveal a miserable looking Malachi. The blonde stopped himself from entering the room, his watery eyes flickering between the three boys and Nessie. "Bad time?"

"Of course not. Come on in." Offering the boy her desk chair, Nessie saw an exchange of heated glances between Jake and Paul. She chose to ignore it however, wanting to find out the reason behind Malachi's obvious suffering. "What's going on?"

The blonde wasn't completely keen on talking about his problems in front of Jacob, or the new additions to his little group, but he forced himself to speak anyway. "I did it again."

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><p>"Court called me last night, crying about- stuff. She said she just needed someone who understood to be there with her. I guess that's how I let myself justify it, but it was still stupid." Malachi sat on the edge of the large bed, his legs tense as if he might run at any moment and his head held up by tense fingers. "I'm not going to pretend that I didn't pressure her into sex in the past, but this was cruel. How can she keep doing this to me?"<p>

Running her hand up her friend's back, Nessie shook her head thoughtfully. "Maybe she's not doing it to screw with your head. It seems like she just needs someone to be there for her."

This seemed to upset the blonde more, his head flying up so he could meet her gaze. Watery eyes filled with fury, he all but spat the next words. "I've been there for her. Every single time something like this happens. But I'm sick of it. There's no point pretending to love her when I'm-"

Raising her eyebrows in curiosity, the young girl waited for him to continue. When he didn't, she wasn't surprised. It wasn't hard to imagine what the rest of the sentence was. This couldn't be happening right now, not when she was just figuring out what was going on between herself and Jacob.

As if hearing her thoughts, Malachi nudged his head towards the open door. "Who are those guys? Did you seduce an entire Indian Reservation?"

"Pretty much." Nessie grinned.

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><p>Slipping into the booth seat across from Seth, Nessie smiled at the young woman that had brought them to the table. "I'll take a Coca Cola, please." As soon as the woman was gone, she raked her fingers through her hair and sighed. "I'm going to kill that girl, I swear."<p>

Leaning forward to support his chin with his hands, Seth tipped his head to the side. After arguing with both Nessie and Jake, he had managed to talk the half-breed into going to lunch with him. The youngest werewolf, being the closest to Nessie next to Jacob, was concerned with the strange detachment of her feelings. "The one that your friend slept with? Why do you care?"

"You'd have to meet her to understand. We're not exactly friends." Her bronze hair fell over her shoulders as she leaned forward to sip the Coke that had suddenly appeared in front of her. "Anyway, what's brought you guys all the way here? Not that I mind."

Jake hadn't seemed very surprised at their sudden appearance, which meant that he had known they would show up and had failed to tell Nessie. It all seemed very strange that they had chosen so soon after the new couple's first date to make a visit, but she didn't want to make them feel as if they weren't welcome, so she didn't point this out.

"Is it not normal for your best friend to visit out of the blue?" Seth's smile only grew when she shook her head. "Right, well I guess I did have a bit of an agenda."

This wasn't surprising to Nessie, for she was used to the constant prying of the people in her life. Privacy just wasn't a priority for her friends and family.

Seth's face became serious, the intense stare of his dark eyes worrying the half-breed. "I'm happy that you're so happy with Jake, and he's definitely just as pleased to be with you, but don't you think it's really sudden? You found out the true meaning of an imprint around a month ago and now the 'L' word is flying around. For you to never show any real interest in him before and to suddenly be in a relationship isn't very normal."

Surprised by the turn of the conversation, Nessie sat back in her seat, not sure what to say. But somewhere deep inside of her, she knew that he was right. The entire relationship had managed to develop overnight, neither of them waiting to let it blossom like a romance should. Yet when she lay in bed at night and thought about the future, Jacob was always in it. As her husband.

Even as she had grown up, the young girl had been faced with an inability to express her emotions clearly. It got to the point that, even in the most simple of situations, she wasn't completely sure how she felt. Only her power had managed to bridge the gap between her and the people surrounding her.

Reaching out to touch the tan boy's forearm, she pushed images of Jacob's smiling face into his head. A slide-show of happy memories and hopes for the future played behind Seth's eyelids. When she pulled away from him, he understood. "You need to show Jake that, so he knows what's going on in your crazy ass head."

"Dad, I said I was sorry. Please-" A familiar, high-pitched voice sounded from the entrance to the restaurant's dining area. Courtland stood beside a tall, groomed man in a tailored suit, trembling as she spoke. "I promise it won't happen again."

Her father's cold eyes flickered from his daughter's tear-streaked face to look at the two teenagers watching the exchange. "Shut the hell up. I don't want to hear your voice for the rest of the day. You'll be punished later."

Voice dropping when he reached the last words, he followed the young waitress to a table in the back of the dining area. As Courtland passed by Nessie's table, their eyes met in an awkward exchange that ended when she hurried to catch up to her father.

Suddenly, hatred towards the obviously abused girl seemed ridiculous. And it was immediately clear why she acted the way she did, though it didn't justify the way she treated Malachi. Seth seemed to catch on to the unfortunate situation. "I'm guessing that that's the infamous Courtland?"

Nessie nodded slowly, turning to look at her enemy in pity. Was it worth it to make the poor girl's school life a living hell, when it obviously wasn't very safe to be home? The bronze haired girl made a promise to herself to be nicer to Courtland for the sake of being able to live with herself. But would the blonde actually accept kindness from the very person that had ruined everything?

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><p>Laying under the raised 70's truck that he had been working on for weeks, Jake wiped his arm across his sweaty forearm. When the Cullen's had designed their new home, Carlisle and Esme had been kind enough to create a spare garage where the tan boy would be able to continue with his passion. Even with his new job at the local car dealership, the werewolf found himself missing the hobby that had filled his life for years.<p>

Bright white tennis shoes appeared at the end of the vehicle, startling Jacob enough to cause his head to jolt up and bang against the metal bar above him. Cursing aloud, the filthy boy pulled himself out from under the car. To his surprise, Malachi was circling the rusty truck, his eyes lit with fascination.

Pushing himself off the cold ground, Jake watched the blonde warily. It was Malachi who turned to acknowledge the other boy, "She's a beauty. How long have you been working on her?"

"Not too long. The parts themselves were easy enough to find, but I haven't had much free time to get into a groove of fixing her. You don't seem like the type to be interested in cars." His dark eyebrows raised as a sharp chuckle escaped Malachi's mouth, creating an unhappy feeling to churn in his stomach. "That wasn't supposed to be funny."

Shrugging, the blonde leaned against the garage door. "I was looking for Nessie. Seen her?"

Warning bells rang inside of the werewolf, but he couldn't stop insulting words from escaping his lips. "Don't call her Nessie. That's my name for her, not yours. And she's probably hiding from your whiny ass." Turning to wash his hands in the sink built in to a cabinet on the far edge of the garage, Jake grinned to himself. "You were crying about getting laid earlier were you not?"

Bursting out with humorless laughter, Malachi waited for the taller boy to look at him before responding. "I get that you've known her longer, and that you've probably called dibs or whatever, but she seems to like my company just as much as yours. Oh, and by the way, Nessie is what she wanted to be called. Don't be a dick about it."

"I really don't like you, dude. And if you had any brains in that big head, you'd leave before you piss me off completely." The last words left Jake's mouth in a snarl, his hands curling into fists without him realizing it.

This didn't seem to phase Malachi in the slightest, though he had a faint worry of what the taller boy was capable of. He wasn't aware that the shaking of Jacob's entire body was a signal of an upcoming phase change, putting him in more danger than he could comprehend. And because of his ignorance, the blonde continued to push. "I think that you're just afraid that she'll choose me instead of you. That you'll be the one left with no one to love you."

Before he knew what was happening, Malachi was being crushing against the garage door. Jake's long fingers were wrapped around his neck, lifting him off of his feet. "Shut the hell up, kid." He spat each worry with an inhuman rage, memories of a similar conversation with Edward filling his irrational brain. "Listen to me and listen to me carefully. Ness _will _choose me, not you. This time I'm going to win, do you understand me? Now if you value your precious little life, you'll leave before I do something that I will definitely not regret."

In a moment of shameful cowardice, Malachi crossed to the door the moment he was set back on his feet. Not a complete pussy, the blonde turned towards Jacob one last time. "She's thinking about going to Julliard. I assume that she hasn't told you that yet, which can only mean that she didn't want you to know. How do you think you're going to fit into her life after high school, Jacob? You're just a bum living off of your crushes money. Grow up."

A wrench hit the door just as it closed, a fuming Jacob glaring at the dented wood in fury. Letting out a cry that sounded like a strangled animal, he burst through the back door of the garage that led towards the woods. Four paws hit the ground heavily, carrying him through the trees for miles, his thoughts reeling in a dizzy frenzy of anger.

Next Stop: Somewhere Uninhabited

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><p>Walking along the edge of the softly gurgling water, Nessie found the large rock protruding out over the edge of the stream and plopped down. She hummed quietly along to the music playing through her headphones, her thin fingers raking her hair away from her face. When she had arrived home, Jake was no where to be found and Malachi, who was supposed to be meeting her to work on the English paper, was also missing in action.<p>

Not wanting to worry herself over nothing, she had asked her father to make up a lie if they showed up, leaving her to hunt in peace. It was there, in her secret place, that her anticipation was put to an end. An inhumanly light footfall sounded behind her, but she refused to turn around.

"Hello, Jane. It's nice to see you again." Through the reflection of the crystal blue water, Nessie met the cold, blood red eyes of her predator. "I've heard you've been looking for me."

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><p><strong>YAY! This is really long and I love it! Tell me what you think! <strong>


	9. Chapter Nine: Cough Syrup

**Hey everyone! I don't have much to say, so just leave reviews if you like it! Or even if you don't. I'd like feedback though, please. :) I love you!**

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><p><em><span>Chapter Nine: Cough Syrup (Young the Giant)<span>_

Leaning down to kiss his wife, Edward settled onto the couch beside her. He looked towards the darkening outside world, suspicion over the eerie silence in the house rising up inside of him. "Where is Renesmee?"

"I haven't seen her since earlier this afternoon, but I'm sure she'll be home soon." Bella spoke calmly, laying the book she had been reading aside and curling up against her husband. "Malachi left in a hurry, he didn't look too pleased. Did you see what happened?"

Not too concerned with the blonde when his own daughter was missing, Edward shook his head. If the vampire was honest with himself, he would realize that next to Malachi, Jacob was the less threatening option. The werewolf would be able to protect her when Edward himself couldn't, not to mention the utter control he felt that he had over Jacob kept him from worrying too much about his actions. And the unconditional love he felt connecting the two teenagers to each other would keep the tan boy from ever hurting his daughter.

Sensing his sour feelings towards Nessie's human friend, Bella opened her mouth to scold him for judging a child when Alice burst through the front door in a tornado of anxious energy. Coming to a stop directly in front of her brother, the pixie screamed her thoughts towards him.

Bella watched as the silent communication between the two vampires caused her husband to rise to his feet quickly, his eyes glazing over in fury. Without explaining a thing to his wife, Edward disappeared from the room.

"What the hell is going on, Alice?" Bella kept in stride with her sister-in-law as they wound through the house to where Edward, Jasper, and Emmett were conversing quietly. Not surprisingly, the pixie didn't answer her either. "I demand to know what is going on, Edward."

Growling under his breath, the pale man strode from the room yet again, expecting his fellow vampires to follow him. "Tell them what you saw, Alice. But do it quickly, because we don't have much time."

All eyes focusing on the pale woman, they burst from the house and strode quickly towards the woods surrounding their quiet clearing they fondly called home. Her dark red lips barely moved as she spoke, but it was easy for Bella to catch every word the older vampire mumbled. "I had a vision that Jane took Renesmee from the woods, but I can't seem to harness any more information of where she plans on taking her. Edward thinks that we might still have a shot at finding her."

Her tone of voice showed that she wasn't as hopeful, but she didn't feel the need to voice her opinion. Jasper and Emmett had branched out from the group, yelling when they reached the stream that Edward had described to them in their brief meeting. "She's not here, but she was."

Eyes filled with terror, the pale man emerged from the woods to see his burly brother holding Renesmee's beloved iPod, the screen shattered as if she dropped it in a struggle. Edward clinched his hands tightly to prevent himself from losing control of his emotions in the light of this recent terror.

"What could Jane have possibly wanted with her?" Jasper, always the voice of reason, asked quietly. The group of vampires stood deadly still, a soft howling of wind the only sound present in the upside-down world around them.

Yanking his cell phone out of his pocket, Edward trembled in fury. "It doesn't matter. She will be sorry."

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><p>"We have the girl in our possession. It shouldn't take too long to get an answer to your request, Jane is speaking with her now." Alec spoke quickly, striding through the crowded shopping center with a stolen cell phone pressed to his ear. "By now I'm sure that the bulk of the Cullen clan have discovered her absence, so we must move quickly."<p>

A cool, smooth voice laughed without humor on the other side of the phone line. "Outstanding. But remember, do not harm her." Aro's connection went dead just as Alec came to a stop in the entrance to the giant mall's food court.

Passing humans gawked at the pair of inhumanly gorgeous girls, admiration and envy clear on many faces. Nessie forced her heart rate to slow to a normal pace, for she knew how horrendous the consequences would be forJane and Alec if they harmed her in any way. Leaning back in her seat, the half-breed crossed her arms in mock toughness. "Alright, Jane. I followed you like you asked, now tell me why you're here."

The pale woman peeled her red lips back in a sneer, avoiding the requests of the young girl once again. "I find it difficult to believe that it's only been seven years since I last lay eyes on you, Renesmee. You have grown up quite well, all things considered. Alec and I certainly weren't expecting for you to be so mature, but I suppose we can work with even the most unexpected of situations." Leaning forward, Jane breathed in the rusty scent of blood radiating from Nessie's recent hunt. "We have been watching you for quite a bit now, my dear, but I felt it necessary for you to be the one to instigate our meeting."

"Cut the shit, old lady. What do you want?" Her insult only managed to make the vampire laugh without humor, the sound cutting through her skin like shards of glass. "One phone call and I can have my entire family on their way in two minutes. I suggest you talk before you destroy any chance of fulfilling Aro's wishes. That is who sent you here, right? You don't seem like the type to be capable of kidnapping me on your own."

Suddenly appearing out of the crowd, Alec clamped his hand down on Nessie's shoulder as he stood behind her. Aware that the threats were empty, for the young girl was too curious to leave without finding out her true intentions, Jane let her eyes flicker around the food court in mock disinterest. Finally, she dropped her voice to a low whisper, her face inches from the trapped half-breed. "Aro is interested in the many talents of your family, which is no secret, but he is especially interested in you. With the combination of not only your mother and father's powers, but also the strong will of the Cullen family, you would be a most valuable addition to the Volturi.

"He has been considering this since your birth, of course, but has chosen to wait until you could make the decision yourself. Edward and Isabella would refuse to even consider the option, for their view of the Volturi has been corrupted. However, an intelligent young woman such as yourself must be more inclined to consider the proposition. What is your decision, Renesmee?"

Her eyes had narrowed during the beginning of the speech, but now an astounded smile was plastered to Nessie's face. "Are you insane? The reason my parents didn't join you themselves was Aro's complete lack of humanity. How could you possibly think that my view would be any different?"

This didn't seem to shock Jane in the slightest, but she knew that her time with the girl was limited so she turned to a more drastic choice of persuasion. Whispering her next words so low that they were almost whispers, the pale woman's voice took on a mothering tone. "Do you remember how it felt to taste human blood, Renesmee? The strength and power that washes over you when you drink the wine of life is intoxicating. Wouldn't you like to have that feeling back? It's very obvious that even in your short life, you've struggled the most with your family's diet. But I bet they never thought of that, did they? Going to public school must be so difficult for you. What with all the delicious, flowing liquid surrounding you every single day as you-"

"Stop it." Nessie jumped to her feet, pressing her palms to her ears in an attempt to block out the woman's taunting. "My answer is no, Jane. Give my deepest apologies to Aro, but I refuse to be a part of the very thing that tried to end my life seven years ago. Now take me back, I can't be stuck in Portland all night."

Nodding grimly, Jane rose gracefully to her feet. "If that's what you really want. Let us take our leave." Nessie stalked off down the crowded corridor of the Portland mall, leaving Alec and Jane alone in the food court. "I have no intention of leaving just yet. She will change her mind soon, I can feel it."

* * *

><p>Tires squealing loudly, Jake yanked the steering wheel around in a U-turn. His stomach was in knots from fear for his missing girlfriend, tears stinging his eyes as he searched for her in the darkness. "Damn it, Nessie." He hissed as he pulled onto Main Street, weaving in between shocked drivers.<p>

Edward had called Seth Clearwater's house, not able to reach the tan man when he was in his wolf form, and had begged the boy to let Jake know that Nessie was missing. It had taken little time for him to reach the Cullen house, but to him it seemed like days. The fact that Alice saw the Volturi in Nessie's future instead of the blankness provided by her involvement with the werewolves scared him beyond words.

Just as he was about to scream with frustration, the headlights of the truck Jake was driving lit up the face of a trembling, unhappy Renesmee walking towards the lights of the town behind him. Skidding to a stop on the side of the road, he jerked himself out of the vehicle to run towards her. As he enveloped her in his warm arms, she began to cry uncontrollably, causing his heart to squeeze with pain. "It's okay, baby. I'm here- I'm here."

* * *

><p>"So Jane never told you what they wanted from you?" Edward's tone was sharper than he meant for it to be, but the fear that had chilled him to the bone was still present in his eyes. He had a deep urge to hug his daughter to his chest again, but her trembling body needed the heat that only Jacob's arms could provide. "Tell us exactly what happened."<p>

A soft whimper escaped Nessie's lips, her terrified eyes flickering to meet her mother's. Bella gripped her husband's arm firmly, pulling him away from the traumatized Renesmee. "Please, Edward. You've already read her mind, so you know just as much as she does. Leave her be for now, tomorrow you can interrogate her. Jake, take her upstairs please."

Nodding once, the tan boy pulled Nessie's thin body up into his arms and disappeared up the stairs. As he carried her, soft purrs of affection floated from his lips, causing her to stare into his eyes with wonder. On the quick trip back from Portland, the half-breed had made the decision to keep as much of the meeting to herself as possible. It would only hurt her family more to know how difficult the decision to stay had been for her, Jane having drawn on every weakness that the young girl had.

Clearing her mind of the truth as she so often had in her short life, Nessie had lied to everyone who cared for her yet again. Even as she lay in her warm bed, Jake cuddled up against her, she forced the guilt of her actions down into the pit of her stomach. Some other time, when she was alone with her thoughts, the bronze haired beauty would allow herself to cry about the path her life had recently taken.

Even Jake, who she expected to be overly emotional about her return, lay silently beside her until he thought she was asleep. Nessie watched secretly as he slipped from the bed, pulling the covers up over her thin body, and ran his fingers through his short hair in frustration before leaving her alone in the darkness. Just as she began to question what was bothering the tan boy secretly, unconsciousness took over her, leaving her to sleep dreamlessly.

* * *

><p>Bouncing on the balls of her feet, Nessie let her eyes scan the crowded auditorium from behind the thick red curtain of the stage. She could see her entire family, along with Jacob, Seth and Paul, entering the dimly lit room and gaining more attention than the show itself was bound to. As if he felt her eyes on him, Jake met the chocolate brown eyes peering out from behind the curtain, forcing himself to smile brightly. It had been a week since Malachi had broken the news of Nessie's interest in Julliard, but the tan boy had yet to confront her on the idea.<p>

Something inside of him knew that even though she loved him more than she could explain, it would be stupid for her to not take an opportunity to fulfill her goals. Even if that meant he needed to disappear from her life in order for her to do so. Edward, who was well aware of the silent pain Jake was filled with, lay a cold on his shoulder in comfort. As if his realization wasn't upsetting enough, Malachi entered the auditorium in a large group of teenagers.

Meeting each other's eyes, the two boys scowled and glanced quickly away. It would be wrong for Jake to tell Nessie not to speak to the blonde, not that she would listen anyway, but his stomach knotted every time the slimy teenager came into view. The large group of beautiful people took their seats just as the lights to the room dimmed and a spotlight lit the center of the closed curtains.

"I would like to welcome everyone to the first performance this year of our high school Show Choir." Brian McNeely stood at the front of the stage, holding a microphone to his smiling lips. "Hopefully everyone was able to pick up a program at the door, which introduces every performance and the students you will see performing this evening. Please show your appreciation for the performers and enjoy the show."

Parting silently, the curtains revealed an empty stage just as music began to float throughout the room. A dark haired boy that Jake had never seen before took the stage, his mouth opening to let out a hauntingly beautiful voice.

"Life's too short to even care at all, oh,

I'm losing my mind losing my mind losing control,

These fishes in the sea they're staring at me, oh, oh,

Oh, oh, oh, oh

A wet world aches for a beat of a drum,

Oh"

Suddenly Nessie was on the stage beside him, joining in the singing of the chorus.

"If I could find a way to see this straight,

I'd run away,

To some fortune that I should have found by now,

I'm waiting for this cough syrup to come down, come down…"

After each verse another teenager would join the pair on the stage, filling the once empty space with smiling faces. When the voices died down to let the instrumental music take over, Nessie and Courtland stepped forward to separate themselves from the group.

Moving to the rising melody of the notes, the bronze haired beauty let herself be lost in her movements, not aware of the collective look of awe and disbelief that had filled the room. Dread filled Jake as he realized just how possible it would be for her to leave him behind if she wanted to, but he pushed the thought away so he could enjoy the performance.

"If I could find a way to see this straight,

I'd run away,

To some fortune that I should have found by now,

So I run now to the things they said could restore me,

Restore life the way it should be,

I'm waiting for this cough syrup to come down,

One more spoon of cough syrup now,

One more spoon of cough syrup now"

Applause rose up to engulf the performers, creating smiles on everyone's faces. The show went on like that for an hour, each song better than the last and therefore creating more excitement. Brian McNeely came to stand on the stage yet again, pride obvious on his face. "We hope that you have enjoyed our show, but before you go, we have one last song. Two of our lead women have shared their talents of both song and dance, creating what we hope you will see as a magical performance. Here is Renesmee Cullen and Courtland Smith with We Are Young."

"Give me a second I,

I need to get my story straight,

My friends are in the bathroom,

Getting higher than the empire state,

My lover she's waiting for me,

Just across the bar,

My seats been taken by some sunglasses,

Asking 'bout a scar"

Courtland sang first, fury for the other girl obvious in her eyes as she sang directly at her. Not letting it get to her, Nessie countered with the next verse, both of them going through the choreography as the song progressed. By the end they were both sweaty and exhausted, but adrenaline pushed them through until the ending notes rang throughout the auditorium.

"So if by the time the bar closes,

And you feel like falling down,

I'll carry you home tonight"

* * *

><p>"You were amazing, Renesmee!" Random teenagers that Nessie had never talked to before congratulated her as she wound her way through the crowd towards her family. A giant smile was plastered to her face as she was engulfed by hugs from her parents and family.<p>

But her excitement quickly deflated as she lay eyes on Jacob, his expression hard and detached. Bounding up to hug him, Nessie raked her bangs away from her face nervously. "So what did you think?"

His act of happiness had broken halfway through the show, leaving his hopes of a happy life with Renesmee shattered. Stepping away before she could touch him, Jake shrugged down at her. "I got bored. Looks like I'm late for- anything. See you later."

Nessie's face crumpled at his hurtful words, tears threatening to escape as she watched him force his way through the crowd towards the door. As if he sensed the depression and confusion washing over his best friend, Malachi was there, pulling her into a deep hug.

"I don't understand what I did." She whispered the words into his chest, not surprised in the slightest when he didn't bother to offer a reply. For now the half-breed would enjoy the attention she was getting from the people that were happy about her success, only worrying about her boyfriend's rudeness when she could confront him about it.

Did she really want to hear the reason?

* * *

><p>When Edward's Escalade pulled into the driveway of the Cullen home, Nessie's heart stilled as she saw her bedroom light on. Ascending the stairs slowly, worries of what was to come ate at her nerves and only worsened when she saw Jake standing awkwardly beside her bed. "Hey." She whispered quietly, dropping her bag to the floor and crossing her arms across her chest.<p>

"Hey." Mimicking her unconsciously, Jake's frown deepened at his arms crossed across his bare chest. After he had escaped the claustrophobic auditorium, he had phased quickly and run to the Canada border and back before coming to a stop in front of the Cullen house.

It was obvious that he had no intention of speaking first, so Nessie sighed softly and sank onto her bed. "Please, Jake. Just tell me what's going on. You were fine a week ago." Scoffing at her assumption, the tan boy turned to look out the window instead of at her. She realized that his stubborn nature wasn't going to make it easy for her, Nessie crossed the room to stand beside him. "If you tell me what I did, maybe I can fix it. Please, Jake. Please."

Turning on the half breed so quickly that she fell to the floor in an attempt to escape his rage, Jake bore his eyes into hers. "A week ago you weren't planning on leaving me behind to pursue a realistic dream of dancing. I hate to break it to you, dear, but you aren't good enough to be anything but a blood sucker."

Quickly, Nessie was on her feet again, an animalistic snarl reverberating from her lips. "What the hell are you talking about? It was just an idea that my teacher's wife had for me to _maybe _pursue in _three years_. Since when have you become such a jerk? Leave. Now."

"With pleasure, but don't call me the next time you're kidnapped by a psycho-bitch and her whipped brother." Jake spat the words down at her face, well aware that he wasn't acting like himself but refusing to care. "But I suppose you have Malachi to protect you now, right?"

Suddenly coming to her senses, Nessie reached out to pull the trembling boy to her chest. Without thinking, he shoved her away, sending her crashing through her bedroom wall. Edward came bursting into the room, having heard the entire affair from downstairs, but Jacob was gone. Not that it mattered to him one bit.

The next time the wolf man showed his face, he would pay for his mistakes.

* * *

><p>Jane and Alec sat in a tiny café on the outskirts of a neighboring town, enjoying the view that the bustling crowds provided to them. If Nessie's sudden appearance at their table surprised the pale woman, she certainly didn't show it. Pushing the empty chair at their table out with her foot, Jane motioned with her head for the young girl to sit. "I can't say that I didn't expect for you to find us, but I didn't expect for it to be so soon. Did the hunger become too much for you to handle now that you're allowing yourself to focus on it?"<p>

Ignoring the vampire's questions, Nessie leaned forward to keep neighboring coffee drinkers from hearing her next words. "Say that I do come back with you to meet with Aro, will I be able to leave if I don't agree with his plans for me?"

"Absolutely, my dear. You are practically an adult now aren't you? It would only be appropriate for you to have complete control over your destiny. That's really all Aro wants to provide you with, a chance to be whatever you want to be. Something that your boyfriend doesn't seem to agree with, it seems."

How Jane knew about her argument with Jake, Nessie didn't know, but she didn't bother to worry about it. "Then I'll go with you. We need to go soon though, Alice will warn my parents about my plans within the next five minutes, I'm sure."

Nodding as she rose to her feet, Jane scanned the crowded café as if expecting for the infamous Edward to already be on their trail. "I agree, but first thing is first. We need to get an actual energy source into your veins."

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry this took so long to upload! School and everything takes a lot out of me… But it's up now! So I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you will review so I know how it was. Thank you!<strong>


	10. Chapter Ten: Back to Black

**Hey guys! I don't have much to say except, happy spring to those of you who are fortunate enough to be experiencing it! Even now I'm thinking about going to a park or just going for a walk to enjoy the weather, but first I'm writing this for you! If you like it, or have anything to say at all, feel free to leave reviews! Love you!**

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><p><em><span>Chapter Ten: Back to Black (Amy Winehouse)<span>_

A loud clack of heels on marble echoed through the halls of the Volturi's hidden palace, warning Aro of Jane's return to her home in Italy. Caius and Marcus exchanged a look of disinterest, already convinced that the half-breed's decision wouldn't affect their position in the slightest. The thick smell of blood wafted into the marble room upon Jane's entrance.

"Jane, my dear, you haven't failed me yet." Aro's robe swept the hard stone as he crossed to where the small woman stood, immediately stepping past her to take in the sight of the newly strengthened half-blood.

Steadying her gaze enough to look the older vampire straight in the face, Nessie let an animalistic look flicker in her red-tinged eyes. The entire world seemed impossibly alive, her newly heightened senses bringing an unsettling smile to her face. She had never felt so good after hunting, if that's really what it could be called, for the woman Jane had presented her with had been more than willing to fulfill her most sadistic needs. Guilt prickled the edges of her conscious, but she pushed it away as quickly as it had sprung up.

It was no secret that Edward, the almighty perfection of a man himself, had broken away from Carlisle to hunt humans. There was no need for Nessie to feel the slightest bit guilty for indulging in her deepest of cravings, she was only seven years old after all. Yet the bronze haired beauty wasn't naïve enough to stay oblivious to the Volturi's ulterior motives.

Lifting the corners of her mouth in an amused smirk, Nessie settled into the role of the annoying teenager she was expected to be. "While I appreciate the chow, it would be most helpful to know what the hell you want with me. One wouldn't think that the great and powerful Volturi would be too concerned with a fifteen year old's eating habits. So spill it, before I walk out of here and you lose your chance."

This didn't seem to faze Aro in the slightest, for he simply leaned forward to take the half-breed's hand and lift it to his cold lips. "We will get to that soon enough, Renesmee. For now I want you to be as comfortable as possible. Our home," At this he swept his arm to the magnitude of the secret building. "Is your home."

"She hasn't eaten in hours, Master. With an appetite as large as hers, our guest must be starving." Though Jane's words seemed helpful, a condescending tone clawed at Nessie's nerves.

Just as she was about to deny her need to feed, Alec, who she hadn't realized was gone, appeared beside her with another man in tow. Turning to look at the vampire's company, a soft gasp escaped Nessie's lips. Malachi, sweet, loving Malachi, was looking at her like she might sprout wings and propel into the air at any moment. From the looks of it, he wouldn't have been surprised if it happened, which could only mean one thing. He knew.

Alec whispered quickly into Marcus' ear before retreating into the background of the room, not wanting to be any part of what came next. Stepping up beside his fellow vampire, the dark haired man sneered at the silent blonde. "It seems that the boy followed them here without being detected. I suggest we kill him swiftly and get it over with."

"_No!_" Nessie's yelp hung in the air awkwardly, startling everyone but Malachi who refused to look up from the polished floor. Realizing that she had made a fatal mistake by letting her feelings get the best of her, the half-breed quickly backtracked. "He goes to my school and I've had my eye on him for a while. His blood smells so fantastic, couldn't I just keep him for my own selfish purposes?"

Finally, Malachi responded to the events going on around him and swung his head to stare at his best friend in horror. Refusing to look him in the eye for fear of giving away her true intentions, Nessie promised herself to make it up to him later. For now though, she needed to seal the lie she had started. As she leaned towards his neck, she expected him to move away but it was as if he understood exactly what she needed him to do.

Her teeth sunk into his skin painfully, but he pulled his bottom lip between his teeth to mute the cry threatening to escape his mouth. It was over just as soon as it had begun, but her feeding still left Malachi woozy. Yes, she would have a lot of explaining to do, not that he wasn't already piecing together the truth.

Watching the entire exchange with a pleasant interest, Aro clapped his hands together excitedly when Nessie shot him a twinkling smile. "Well then, it's settled. You may keep him here with you to be your meals when you so desire, and it will be at your discretion that he dies. Alec, Jane, show the teenagers to their room. We will see you when the sun sets at dusk tomorrow morning."

Once in the hallway, Malachi refused to look anywhere but directly in front of him. How he could have thought this girl was his friend for even a second was beyond him, but he could see the truth now. It would be a very long trip, especially if every moment he spent in the palace ticked away towards his death.

* * *

><p>Charging out of the forest behind Sam's house, Jacob pulled on his shirt as he leaped over firewood that had long ago been stacked around the exterior of the property. Before he could even reach the porch, Sam and Paul met him on the grass with unhappy looks on their faces. Panic surged through him for a moment, but he forced himself to calm down. Seth had communicated with Jacob through his wolf form, telling him to get to La Push immediately, but the young boy hadn't specified as to why.<p>

"What's going on? Paul? Sam?" He looked from one pissed off face to the other, quickly figuring out how much trouble he seemed to be in. "God damn it, tell me what is going on. Where's everyone else?"

Paul stepped forward suddenly, lifting the younger boy off the ground by the front of his shirt and snarled threateningly in Jacob's face. "She's fucking gone, you idiot. The Volturi took your girlfriend and you weren't there to stop it, because you're insecure about some _human_." He spit the word as if it was a swear, never unlocking his black eyes from his friend's wide, brown ones. "Not to mention, you hit her. I don't have time to deal with you now, but so help me god-"

Reaching forward to drag Paul away from the now trembling Jacob, Sam forced his calm demeanor to break the tension between the two men. "Now is not the time to have this conversation. There are more important ways to be spending our time. Seth has headed over to the Cullen house to wait with Esme in case Nessie somehow manages to get home. The rest of us are going with Edward and the others to Italy."

Jake nodded quickly, his heart hammering so hard he worried it might jump from his chest. What if the last time he saw Renesmee's beautiful face was right before he sent her sailing through a wall? That simply was not going to fly. He would sooner die than let the all-powerful leeches transform his innocent, loving Nessie into a monster. "Give me five minutes and I'll be ready to-"

"Stay. You will not be joining us, Jacob." Sam held up a single hand to quiet the outburst of disagreement about to escape his friend's mouth. He wasn't completely oblivious to the need to help the person you loved, so Sam reached out to grasp the taller boy's shoulder in reassurance. "It wouldn't be good to get you involved in case something goes wrong. But I promise you, we'll bring her home to you."

For some unknown reason, Jake didn't argue even though he wanted to with every fiber of his body. If something truly happened to Nessie before Edward and Sam got there, surely he would know. He would feel it in his heart if his other half disappeared from the world. Right?

* * *

><p>A loud knocking on the front door of the Cullen house woke Seth from his light slumber. Jumping to his feet quickly, the young boy chastised himself for sleeping during the middle of the afternoon when so many things were needing his attention, but he had now gone almost 24 hours without sleep and that didn't do well with his eternal laziness. He was extremely surprised to find Courtland standing on the other side of the door when he jerked it open, having expected to see Jake.<p>

"I need to talk to Renesmee." The blonde spoke sharply, her eyes flickering to the interior of the house behind Seth. After a moment of complete silence, and enduring a hatred-filled glare from the tan boy, she realized he wasn't going to give her any information without an explanation. "Calm down, I'm not looking to cause any trouble. I just want to know if she's talked to Malachi lately, because I can't get a hold of him."

Having never seen the blonde up close before, Seth let his eyes do a quick one over of her. She was rather tall, with her tan legs displayed by small white shorts fit for summer even though it was closer to November. The upper half of her body was actually dressed to fit the weather, a thick sweatshirt hanging across her thin shoulders. It was no surprise that she was beautiful, but dark bruises covered her neck and bags sunk into the skin under her dull grey eyes.

Remembering the abusive home life she seemed to have, Seth felt even worse about having to lie to her, but he had no choice. "He hasn't been around here, but I think he mentioned leaving town for the weekend. Renesmee made it sound as if it were a secret, so please don't go sharing that information with just anyone."

Courtland wasn't easily fooled, she could see the uneasiness in the boy's smile, but didn't push the issue. Nodding slowly, she turned to make her way back to her car, not bothering with goodbye for she had no intention of dropping her curiosity.

* * *

><p>Malachi crossed the large bedroom he was being forced to share with who he now considered his enemy, glancing out the open window in longing to be home. He hadn't spoken to anyone since he had been caught standing in the alley that the small woman and man had disappeared with Nessie only an hour before, but his normal urge to talk out his problems didn't come. Instead, a giant wave of frustration racked his body as he sensed his friend come to stand behind him.<p>

Reaching out to touch his arm, she wasn't surprised in the slightest when he yanked it out of her grasp. She had no doubt that this would be the end of the only normal friendship she managed to have in her short life, but she simply couldn't blame him for anything. "I'm so sorry, Malachi. You shouldn't have followed me here. Please, just don't be afraid of me."

"Don't worry about it. I've gotten used to people hiding things from me. Why should you be any different?" His voice was low, just above a whisper, but held enough emotion to knock Nessie off her feet. "What are you, anyway? If you're a vampire, how can you go outside? Or are you just a sick freak that thinks drinking blood turns you into a mythical creature?"

The bronze haired beauty drug her feet to sit on the edge of the large bed they had been provided with, her thin fingers winding into her curls to hold back the headache threatening to pound through her brain. "No, I'm not drinking blood to be like a vampire. I am one, kind of. That's a long story. All you need to know is that the people here want you dead and I won't be able to stop them for long. You have to go home.

"Even now, my parents are probably on their way to liberate me from imprisonment. I came here because I wanted to, which won't blow over too well. Then will be your chance to leave, my father will take you back with him."

Laughing without humor, Malachi turned to watch her with a look of speculation. "I can't wait that long. Not if those people are- vampires too. What happens when they get sick of you manipulative games and kill me anyway?" He waited for her to answer, but she didn't. This entire situation was extremely risky in and of itself. "Then kill me yourself. At least then I'll know I died in the hands of someone with some humanity."

Nessie shook her head slowly, "No. I will get you out, Malachi. You have to trust me just once more."

Great, that's just what he was scared of.

* * *

><p>Jake sat in the back of the car dealership on his lunch break, staring at his cheap cell phone with anticipation. He hadn't heard anything from Sam or Paul, which meant they had yet to reach Italy. Since he had watched them take off into the blackness the night before, Jake had regretted his agreement to stay behind. He needed to be there, but was it for himself or Nessie?<p>

Knocking loudly on the door to the break room, the middle aged man that had hired Jacob leaned into the room. "There's a teenage girl looking for you out on the floor. She says she needs to talk to you as soon as possible."

It only took him seconds to tear through the building to reach the bright white showroom. Looking around for Nessie, he was quickly disappointed by seeing only the blonde that had been at the high school's concert. Slowly to a stop, Jacob sighed and crossed his arms. "Do you need something? I'm kind of busy."

"I'm sure you are. Listen, I need some help with something. I figured you'd be the one to ask, seeing as Cullen seems to worship the ground you walk on." Courtland's tone wasn't kind in the slightest, even though she was technically complimenting him. "Plus, we seem to share a common goal."

There was something fishy about the girl's request, but Jacob didn't stop to analyze it. What could the two of them possibly have in common? Curiosity had always been his downfall however, so he shrugged his shoulders exaggeratedly. "Alright, let's go."

* * *

><p>Sitting across from the heavily bruised blonde, Jacob felt pangs of guilt ring through his body. This was obviously the girl that had caused Nessie's first day of school to be less than carefree, but he couldn't find it in his heart to hate her. She avoided his eyes at all costs, sitting in silence until her salad was sat in front of her. For a moment, he was worried that she had asked him to lunch in the hope of catching his interest, but that thought was quickly squashed.<p>

"I need you to help me get Malachi back. I assume that Renesmee told you we dated, and that I'm a royal pain in the ass. Both of which are true." Courtland's watery eyes flickered up to meet Jacob's, her teeth catching her bottom lip in the hope to not start crying.

Jacob unfolded his napkin and handed it to her across the table. "She hadn't told me that actually. But she hasn't exactly been to open with me lately." Now that the words had escaped his lips, he realized the truth in them. Nessie hadn't really shared anything of importance with him since she had become friends with Malachi. That ground on every nerve in his body, but he forced it down to think about later. "What exactly do you expect me to do though? He wouldn't listen to me if I held his own mother at gunpoint. And, no offense, he doesn't seem to be too interested in being with you anymore. I can't fix how someone feels."

Licking her glossy lips, Courtland's eyebrows furrowed in frustration. She wasn't exactly sure what she expected Jacob to do, but something told her if his relationship was in danger, he would figure out something. "That's why I need your help. If I knew how to get him away from your girlfriend, I would have done it in a heartbeat. But they've been getting closer lately and I think they're with each other even now."

A clattering of a fork being dropped startled Courtland out of her concentrating state. Jacob's fork had slipped from his hand at her last comment, his mouth hung open in shock. "What the hell does that mean?"

"It means, he's not returning my calls and some middle school kid at her house told me that she wasn't home. I'm thinking that means they might be together right-" Before Courtland could finish her sentence, Jacob was out of the booth, walking towards the exit to the restaurant with his phone pressed to his ear. Something was wrong.

* * *

><p>"All I know is that she seems to think that wherever Nessie is, Malachi will be too. Which causes problems seeing as she's trapped in the clutches of bloodthirsty leeches who hate human life." Jacob's raspy voice crackled through the phone line, creating a deep frown to form on Sam's face. "Just tell Edward what I said and bring her home."<p>

With a sharp click of a button Jacob was gone. Before Sam had a chance to relay his message to the Cullens, Edward was already speaking. "It seems that Malachi might be trapped with Renesmee. We'll have to be extremely careful on how we deal with the situation, or he could be dead within moments.

Huffing loudly, Emmett shook his head. "This all doesn't make any sense. Nessie was taken by Aro just a week or two ago, why wouldn't she have had the common sense to call us if she was in danger? Maybe there's something here that we're missing. Maybe she went on her-"

Cutting off his brother's ranting, Edward spoke quietly. "As far as we're concerned at the moment, Renesmee was taken from our home yet again. And now we have the added benefit of a human life at stake. At least they have an interest in what Renesmee can do for them, Malachi doesn't have that privilege. He will die in an instant if they lose interest in him."

"Who cares? He always rubbed me the wrong way. Why not just let him die?" Rosalie's cold voice interrupted the male bantering, and even though her comment was unusual to her character, it caught everyone off guard. Her eyes darted around the shocked faces of their corner of the airport lobby. "What?"

Bello shook her head, "The reason we maintain the diet that we do is to protect humanity. How hypocritical would it be to pay no regard to a sixteen year old's life? We will get both of them away from the Volturi. End of story."

* * *

><p>Following the small brother and sister out into the cold, crisp air of the Italian streets, Nessie tugged her sleeves down to cover her knuckles. They had woken her up from the short nap she had fallen into, being careful not to wake Malachi from whatever nightmare had him tossing and turning on the edge of the bed. Nessie had a nagging feeling that she was starring in his dream, and it made her stomach churn with anxiety.<p>

The group of pale beings passed by the grungy people of the night. Although Alec and Jane stared straight ahead as they strode gallantly through the cobblestone streets, Nessie couldn't help staring at her surroundings. The beautiful city of Voltura was completely different when the sun went down, bringing out the traits that made her see why vampires would reside there.

As they trudged deeper into the darkness, the half-breed sped up to ask Jane where they were going. But the small woman disappeared before she got the chance, leaving her with Alec, who had quickly been growing on her. Stepping in time with the brunette, Nessie raked her bangs away from her face. "What does Aro have planned for me this evening? I can't imagine that he just wanted you to take me on an evening stroll."

"No, that wouldn't be very beneficial in the scheme of things, would it?" Alec managed to crack a small smile before his permanent scowl returned. "Aro found that it might be good for you to see the reason behind their choices. Something that your family always seem to forget is that we are here for a purpose. If humans knew what this world contained, we would all be in grave danger."

Staring up at the brunette's face that was lit in the moonlight, Nessie tried to decipher the meaning behind his explanation. She didn't have to wait for long though. Before long, the pair reached the center of the city, and the very heart of crime. Screams bounced from the walls so loudly that Nessie had to cover her ears, tears stinging her eyes as the intensity of the situation weighed down on her.

A trembling teenage girl was curled up against a mucky wall, her heavily made up eyes flickering around the alley around her. She couldn't have been more than fourteen years old, yet the skimpy dress and heels she wore made her seem so much older and younger at the same time. Despite Alec's protests, Nessie knelt down beside the girl. Upon closer examination, she could see bite marks on the dark haired girl's thin neck.

"He hurt me. It was only supposed to last for fifteen minutes, at the most. I just wanted my fifty dollars. I didn't know he was going to…" Sobs wracked the girl's thin frame as the horrible images of her attack invaded her head. "Help me, please."

Before Nessie could confirm that she would help her as much as she could, Jane appeared out of the shadows beside them. "We will help you, dear. Unfortunately, you won't like how it plays out." Grabbing the sides of the girl's head, the small vampire snapped her neck with a quick twist of her wrists.

What the hell had just happened? The lifeless eyes of the teenager seemed to bore into Nessie's soul, causing her to propel backwards into a stone wall. "What the hell did you do that for? We could have taken her to hospital. There was ways to help her that weren't…" Breaking into hysterics, she found herself being cradled against Alec's warm chest. "She was so young…"

"She was a whore, Renesmee. A filthy waste of space that had no place in this world. She would have died from disease or hunger within the next six months. What I did was a favor to her humanity." Jane's cold eyes showed no compassion as she drug the limp body behind the nearest dumpster. "Besides, she would have tried to spread the identity of her attacker. We have people to protect, Renesmee, and if that means getting rid of a few worthless humans, then so be it."

It was too much for the bronze haired beauty to comprehend at the moment, so she refrained from saying anything. What could be said anyway? She wasn't on board with killing anyone, yet she couldn't force herself to consider going back to her family. Nothing in the world could change her mind about her decision to let the hunger devour her life.

But maybe one person could.

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><p><strong>Sorry this took so long to be put up! I'm so out of whack when it comes to writing, it frightens me… Anyway! Hope you like it! Love you guys!<strong>


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